


Moonlight and Lusting

by socalrose



Category: Torchwood
Genre: M/M, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-02
Updated: 2015-08-10
Packaged: 2018-03-26 18:21:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 36
Words: 69,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3859957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/socalrose/pseuds/socalrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's lust and there's love. Jack will experience both as a relationship changes in ways he didn't plan.<br/>There's more than Weevils and aliens in Cardiff; some beings are native to the area. (No, not the fairies.)</p><p>This work is complete.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lust in the Park

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Team_Janto](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Team_Janto/gifts).



> This is a story I posted earlier on Dreamwidth and Fanfiction. [Team_Janto](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Team_Janto) requested I repost it On AO3.  
> It will take a few days to post all the chapters.
> 
> Please be aware this story was written before I knew what omegaverse was; Jack doesn't have heats and is not very submissive, but you will read about some alpha-like behavior in other characters.
> 
> All mistakes are mine. Please let me know if you find any. Thanks!

  
I didn't think there would be a follow up story to **[Moonlight and Longing](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3859663/chapters/8619511) ** but the plot bunnies had other things in mind. **Moonlight and Lusting** starts with Jack's next encounter with Wolfie. I'm not too sure about this fic so please let me know what you think about it.

This chapter rated Mature (Sexual encounter/Slash)

**tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw**

**Lust in the Park**

****

 

It was a cold crisp winter night as Jack stood on the roof top looking over Cardiff. It had been a trying week and he had almost lost Tosh and Owen. Fortunately he and Gwen had been able to save them and kill the as yet unidentified creature which the rift had spit out.

He missed Ianto, who was out of town with his sister Rhiannon and her family for a few days. It would be three more days before he saw him again. Jack sighed in frustration and turned to look towards Bute Park. He saw someone familiar walking through a clearing in the park and went to investigate.

Fifteen minutes later Jack stood in the center of the same clearing looking around. He could have sworn he had seen Wolfie, but maybe it was just wishful thinking on his part. There was something about the lycan which intrigued Jack. He found himself very attracted to him and he wanted to know why. Turning and heading off in the direction of the SUV Jack passed a small copse of trees when he was tackled from his blind side. He and his attacker rolled a few times before they came to a stop with Jack on the ground and his attacker on top of him.

Jack struggled but the attacker had both of his hands pinned to the ground. He raised himself off of Jack just enough so Jack could see him – it was Wolfie.

“I thought I saw you from the rooftop earlier – what’s with attacking me? Funny way to say hello,” Jack said. “Okay, you can let me up now.”

Wolfie shook his head and leaned his head down to nuzzle Jack’s neck. Inhaling his scent like he had before, Wolfie moaned in approval and licked Jack’s neck. Jack could feel Wolfie’s excitement nudging against his thigh. Wolfie switched to pinning both of Jack’s hands above Jack’s head with one of his big hands so the other hand was free to unbutton Jack’s great coat. A part of Jack knew he should tell Wolfie to stop but Jack was overwhelmed by the lycan’s pheromones; they were familiar yet exotic and powerful at the same time.

Once Jack’s great coat was open Wolfie ripped the front of Jack’s shirt and tee shirt open baring his chest and stomach to the cold. He bent over Jack's chest and licked a line down from his throat to his navel before making Jack gasp when he latched on to one of Jack’s nipples with his mouth and nibbled and sucked on it. Jack felt his cock twitch in response to Wolfie’s ravenous mouth and moaned.

As Wolfie attacked the other nipple Jack felt his belt being undone and the zipper pulled down. Jack wasn’t wearing any underwear and Wolfie easily pulled his cock out. 

“Wait, Wolfie, no,” Jack tried to make Wolfie stop but the sensation of Wolfie’s fur caressing his cock and then Wolfie was rubbing his cock against Jack’s made all his resistance melt away. They were both making noises of pleasure as they rubbed against each other. Wolfie engulfed both cocks in his hand stroking until Jack came over his hand between their bodies. Jack was limp from pleasure, but Wolfie wasn’t done yet. He raised Jack’s torso off the ground just long enough to pull his great coat off of him and leave it on the ground like a blanket. Jack was still in a sex-induced haze when Wolfie turned him over on his stomach and removed his trousers. Jack shivered a bit his body exposed to the cold night air. Wolfie raised Jack’s butt until he was on his knees with his head resting on his hands. Jack felt Wolfie stroke his back and the twin globes of his arse. Wolfie nipped each cheek before separating them exposing the crinkled opening he wanted to possess. His long pink tongue licked and lapped at the tight muscle causing Jack to moan and move his hips back. Soon the opening was relaxed enough to where Wolfie’s long pink powerful tongue plunged into Jack’s hole making Jack cry out. Over and over he plunged his long strong muscle in and out of Jack’s lovely tunnel getting Jack hard again and Wolfie driving himself almost to the point of no return. He pulled his tongue out and positioned his cock against Jack’s entrance. Jack was too far gone with lust and he egged Wolfie on.

Wolfie’s slicked up cock slowly sank into Jack’s hole until he was balls deep. He held still for a moment giving Jack’s body time to adjust before he started slowly thrusting in and out a little.

“More,” was all Jack managed to say between moans. Wolfie started pounding into Jack hitting his sweet spot making him see stars. Soon Jack was shouting as he came once again literally passing out as he climaxed. Wolfie held Jack up by his hips and thrust into him for several more minutes before shooting his seed into him while howling at the top of his lungs. He held the position until his limp cock slipped out of Jack. Feeling possessive he then bit Jack’s arse just enough to mark him as his mate. 

Gently he turned Jack over on his back and wrapped him up in his coat and grabbed the clothes scattered around them before picking up Jack and carrying him home to his flat. The back entrance to his flat was shrouded in shadows and no CCTV cameras were mounted in the alleyway which was one of the reasons he chose this location. He entered his flat quietly checking that Jack was still asleep in his arms. Carrying him to the bedroom he laid him down on the bed. Carefully he pulled the great coat off of Jack and removed the tattered remains of his shirts and then his shoes and socks. Wolfie hung the great coat up; he saw that it would need to be cleaned again. Returning to the bed he turned Jack on his side one leg in front of the other so his arse was more readily available. Morphing into his human form he laid down behind Jack with his head level with Jack’s arse. Pulling the cheeks apart he could see his cum oozing out of Jack’s hole. He licked up the trail of cum then lick Jack’s hole. His cock became stiff as a board again and he wanted to take his mate once more. He spooned against Jack’s back, raised Jack’s top leg and slowly sank into his velvet heat. Thrusting slowly and shallowly he reveled in the joy and pleasure of mating with his beloved and hoped Jack would soon be pregnant with his child. Jack started moaning in his sleep and moving against him increasing both their pleasures. Still Jack was not completely awake and was unaware of his surroundings. Soon Wolfie was pounding into Jack causing him to come as Wolfie bit him at the base of his neck and then Wolfie came inside Jack once more. 

“You are mine Jack,” he whispered as he pulled carefully out of Jack. He reached over to the night stand and found the butt plug he had bought and gently worked it into Jack’s hole. Getting out of bed quietly he quickly showered and toweled off before taking a flannel into the bedroom and cleaning Jack up as well. He admired the mating bite marks he’d left on Jack’s body wondering if they would be gone in the morning or not. After tossing the flannel into the bathroom he climbed back into bed once more spooning behind Jack and covered them both with the duvet before joining Jack in sleep.

**tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw**  
  
 

**A note from socalrose:**  Does anyone believe Jack could pass out from having sex? Having just re-read this I'm finding it more funny than hot. What do you think?  
  
I wish I had an icon for this story, but all the lycan photos and pictures I found on the web were too vicious. I picture Ianto as a lycan with auburn fur, muscular, slightly taller than Jack, but with a lycan face which is not normally terrifying but highly expressive with those beautiful blue eyes. Wish I could draw, but no such luck. Anyone interested is creating an icon for me?  
  
Reviews, comments or questions are always welcome!  

 


	2. Lust in the Park

  
The morning after Lust in the Park - Jack's feeling guilty.

This chapter rated PG-13 (Adult concepts)

**tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw**

Jack felt warm, safe and loved. Sunlight caressed his face and Jack slowly opened his eyes blinking at the sunlight streaming through the blinds – blinds? There were no blinds in Ianto’s flat. Jack lay there in the large bed trying to figure out what happened and where he was. Without turning his head he knew there was no one in the bed with him and no one in the room with him. What happened last night? Images of him and Wolfie having sex in the park last night streaked through his mind. Groaning he whispered, “I am such a slut!” punching his pillow for emphasis. Jack had cheated on Ianto with Wolfie last night. So was this Wolfie’s flat? Maybe he could sneak out without running into Wolfie; pretend it never happened. Jack dismissed that thought almost as quickly as he had it. He couldn’t deny what happened last night; he’d have to face the music first with Wolfie and then with Ianto. Hopefully both would understand and forgive him. Jack turned to get out of bed only to become aware something was stuck in his arse. Gently he reached behind him and felt the end of a butt plug in his arse. ‘ _Things just keep getting better and better_ ,’ he thought sarcastically. Carefully he pulled it out and wrapped some tissue around it before putting it on the nightstand.

He found his great coat and trousers draped over a chair with his boots, socks, and belt on the floor next to them. A clean tee shirt lay on the chair as well and Jack remembered Wolfie had ripped both his shirt and tee shirt last night. His mobile, wallet, gun and holster were on the chest of drawers. Quietly he put his clothes on except his great coat. Jack put his holster on and tucked his gun in it before shrugging on his great coat as if the coat were armor to protect him from his confrontation with Wolfie. His mobile, wallet and keys went in the appropriate pockets. Jack ducked into the bathroom to pee and after washing his hands he opened the master bedroom door and stuck his head out. In addition to the en suite bathroom in the master bedroom there was another bathroom down the hall, along with two more bedrooms.

Jack walked to the other end of the hallway and found the living room. There were two comfortable-looking couches and a recliner all facing a coffee table and beyond that a very expensive entertainment center with a large plasma flat screen, Play Station 3, DVD recorder, and an iPod station with speakers. A large window faced the street and Jack recognized the area. It was a new development near the Hub and very posh. He heard sounds coming from the kitchen area off to his right and something smelled delicious. Jack’s stomach growled reminding him he hadn’t eaten since yesterday morning. Slowly Jack walked past the dining room area and over to the kitchen doorway and paused. He couldn’t see Wolfie, but he could hear him puttering around. He just stood in the doorway building up his courage when he was startled by a familiar voice, “Stop hanging around in the doorway and come and sit down; breakfast is ready.”

Stepping into the kitchen Jack asked in a puzzled voice, “Ianto?” Sure enough he saw Ianto standing by a coffeemaker holding a steaming cup of coffee out to him. Taking the cup of coffee from Ianto he started to ask, “So you and Wolfie –“

“Are one in the same,” Ianto answered Jack’s question. “I’m sorry; I should have handled this better than I did last night. Didn’t expect to see you in the park and then there you were; you smelled delicious and I had to have you – and I did,” Ianto said somewhat apologetically.

“I thought I had cheated on you, but I couldn’t stop; actually I didn’t want Wolfie, I mean you to stop,” Jack explained lamely suddenly fascinated by the tops of his boots.

Ianto touched Jack’s arm lightly causing Jack to look at him. “Jack, you’re not the only one with overpowering pheromones. I was in mating mode last night. If it had been anyone else, I could have controlled my urge to mate, but when I saw you, smelled you, my mind and body wanted you; I produced pheromones which overpowered you and then I had my wicked way with you – so to speak. Twice.”

“What do you mean twice?” Jack asked looking puzzled.

Now Ianto looked a little uncomfortable. “Um, after our ‘fun’ in the park, you were kind of worn out so I carried you back here and put you to bed,” Ianto began.

“Why do I sense there’s more to the story?” Jack asked.

Ianto blushed as he explained, “After I put you to bed I morphed back to my human form and I had honestly just planned to get in bed with you and sleep, but I could smell the scent of our sex on you and started licking you again and – we had sex again,” he finished lamely. “You were mostly awake and seemed to enjoy it,” he added in his defense.

Jack had vague memories of slow enjoyable sex in the bed he’d woken up in this morning. He raised an eyebrow at Ianto saying, “And the point of the butt plug I found in me when I woke up?”

He had Ianto squirming now. “Look, I was still in mating mode and I wanted to improve the chances of getting you pregnant, hence the butt plug. Sorry.”

“Why didn’t you tell me you were a lycan?”

Ianto ran his hand through his hair while he gathered his thoughts. “Seriously Jack after all the secrets we’ve both had I was afraid to tell you one more secret. I was going to tell you after Abaddon but you left with the Doctor.” Jack cringed at the memory; he had left with the Doctor or at least on the outside of the doctor’s Tardis without saying goodbye or even leaving a note.

Pacing back and forth Ianto continued, “I didn’t know if you were ever coming back and when you did come back, then Captain John Hart showed up, killed you and nearly killed the rest of us and then you asked me on a date, which by the way we haven’t had yet, so I’m sorry I haven’t told you sooner that I’m a lycan, I’m in love with you and I want you to bear my children and be my life mate.” Ianto finished his rant and took several deep breaths.

Jack felt a lump in his throat and nearly choked on it. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to leave you without saying goodbye or leaving a note and I’m sorry I didn’t take you on our date or tell you what happened to me while I was away. I was honestly afraid to tell you, to tell you. . .”

Tell me what Jack?” Ianto asked stopping in front of Jack and cupping Jack’s face with his hands. He watch Jack struggle with his feelings. A tear ran down Jack’s face. “To tell you I love you Jones Ianto Jones,” he whispered.

Ianto started crying too. “And I love you, Captain Jack Harkness,” he replied. Ianto tentatively kissed Jack going shy all of a sudden which was odd considering he had just fucked Jack into the mattress several times last night.

Jack kissed him back and grabbed him around the neck pulling him closer. Ianto’s tongue invaded Jack’s mouth. After several minutes of exploring Jack’s mouth Ianto broke the kiss and lean his forehead against Jack’s. “Tell you what,” Jack said, “I’ll forgive you if you’ll forgive me, but perhaps first I should ask you if you have any other secrets you want to share?” he asked with a grin.

“Nope, that’s it,” Ianto replied smiling back at Jack.

“I have more to tell you about the year that never was, but I have to tell you when I can because some of the emotional pain from that year is still really raw,” Jack explained as he sat down on a kitchen chair.

“Fair enough,” Ianto replied plunking himself down on Jack’s lap.

“Did you mean what you said earlier?” Jack asked. “You want me to be your life mate and bear your children?”

“Yes Jack. You’re the one I crave the one I can’t resist. Imagine how gorgeous our children will be,” Ianto replied licking Jack’s neck and sending a shiver down Jack’s spine.

“Would our children be lycans or human or both?” he asked.

Ianto thought about it. “I asked the elders about that and they said some could be lycans and some could be hybrids. Lycans and humans have mated before and the combination could result but they’ve always been able to control their lycan side and live normal lives.”

Jack chuckled. “If you can call our lives normal, which I’m not sure you can.”

“Would they be immortal?” Ianto asked Jack.

“I don’t know Ianto, but it’s something we’d have to seriously consider,” Jack answered honestly. “Perhaps I could ask the Doctor.”

“We could ask the Doctor together,” Ianto said.

“So the only question left: is this your apartment or some friend’s apartment?” Jack asked.

“It’s mine, I was going to show it to you under less dramatic circumstances but here it is. I used my survivor funds from Canary Wharf to buy it outright. What do you think of it?” Ianto asked. “It’s got three bedrooms, two baths; a balcony overlooking the bay, there’s even a gym downstairs with a Jacuzzi and pool which all the tenants share. Plus there is a school nearby for children and it’s only a ten minute walk to the Hub.”

“I love it; it’s lovely and you are gorgeous,” Jack said. Jack’s mobile rang and he tried to ignore it.

“Best check to see who it is; it might be work,” Ianto said gently.

Jack looked at the mobile and saw it was Owen. Answering he said, “What is it Owen?”

“Where the hell are you? Gwen and Tosh are starting to worry,” Owen barked into his ear.

“I’ll be there in ten minutes,” Jack replied. “I got held up by an appointment. See you soon. Bye.” He ended the call. “Work calls; you should stay here and rest since you’re not expected back for two more days.”

“Alright, but I expect you back here after work Jack because you haven’t answered my questions yet,” Ianto chided.

Jack smiled and said, “Perhaps I need a little more persuasion.”

“Persuasion I can do,” Ianto replied snogging Jack silly.  
 

 **tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw**  
  
 

A note from socalrose: How many of you figured Wolfie was also Ianto? Reviews, comments or questions are always welcome; actually needed - talk to me people! 

  
  



	3. Pondering, Promises and an Ice Lolly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After **Slut in the Morning** Jack goes into work and Owen has questions.

This chapter rated Mature (Sexual encounter / Slash)

  
**tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw**

Jack left the flat with a thermos full of Ianto’s coffee and a sack containing a couple of bacon sarnies and went back to the Hub. As the cogwheel door swung open to admit him he was greeted by Owen yelling, “Where the hell have you been?”

“Out and about,” was all Jack replied. He strolled to his office with three sets of eyes following him. He went down into his room below his office and removed his coat, tee shirt and was in the process of opening his belt to take it off when he heard Owen say, “Who bit you Jack? Were you in a fight?”

Jack felt for the bite on his neck where Ianto had bitten him last night. “I had a fun night last night,” was all he said to Owen who was standing in his office looking down into his room.

“A fun night?” Owen said before scowling at Jack. “Are you shagging other people behind Ianto’s back – you slut! I ought to call Ianto right now and tell him what you’ve been up to. In fact I should tell him and then drag your sorry arse down to the Medical bay and test you for every STD known on this planet and the off planet ones we know about as well. How could you do this Ianto? He doesn’t deserve this Jack, you heartless bastard!”

Jack couldn’t suppress a grin which made Owen even madder. Before he could start ranting again, Jack said “It was Ianto I was shagging last night Owen; he came back early and surprised me last night. That’s his bite mark on my neck, so you can put away your death glare.”

Owen relaxed a little bit at the news and then looked puzzled. “Shouldn’t the bite mark have healed by now?”

Jack thought about it. “No, it’s not too long ago that he bit me,” Jack replied. “I’m going to take a quick shower and then I’ll come up and see what you are all up to.” With that, Jack dropped his trousers leaving him stark naked. Owen rolled his eyes and left in disgust. Fortunately that meant he didn’t see the other less than human looking bite on Jack’s arse.

“Owen what’s going on with Jack?” Gwen asked all concerned.

“I thought Jack was shagging other people behind Ianto’s back but he said Ianto came back earlier than expected and apparently fucked Jack into the mattress several times last night. Why Gwen are you jealous?” Owen replied.

Gwen blushed a crimson red. “No, I’m not jealous I was just concerned,” she replied.

“Everyone that believes that can kiss a Weevil,” Owen snarked.

Tosh giggled at Owen’s comment and Gwen turned an even brighter red than before. She was just about to reply when Jack came out of his office chewing the last bite of a bacon sarnie. Once he swallowed that down with a couple of sips of Ianto’s coffee he asked everyone for their status.

The day was long and tedious and Jack slowly plowed through his paperwork until he started daydreaming. What would it be like to be pregnant with Ianto’s children? Would they be immortal like Jack? He hoped they wouldn’t have to deal with immortality. Jack didn’t mind the possibility of them being lycans or half-lycans; as long as they were Jack and Ianto’s children and healthy that was all that mattered. The thought startled Jack and yet when he examined his feelings he was happy with the idea. He loved Ianto, no more doubts; he loved the man, the lycan. Thinking about the things the two of them did together last night made Jack’s trousers seem a little too tight in the crotch area. He squirmed in his chair trying to get comfortable and suddenly he had the strong desire to go to Ianto. Looking at the paperwork on his desk he made his decision. “Alright kids,” he said as he emerged from his office pulling on his great coat. I’m calling it a day for everyone. Tosh, forward the rift monitor to my wrist strap and then everyone go home.”

“You’ll get no argument from me,” Owen replied. “Tosh, want to go out for a drink and some dinner?”

“Love to Owen,” Tosh replied.

Gwen called Rhys and told him she’d be home for dinner for a change and he sounded quite pleased by the news. Jack bid them all goodnight and headed out via the invisible lift.

Taking a brisk pace he arrived at Ianto’s new flat in eight minutes. Knocking on the door he waited only a few seconds before it was opened to reveal Ianto in jogging bottoms and a tee shirt. “You’re off early,” he commented.

“Very quiet day,” Jack said as he entered. Ianto took Jack’s coat off of him and hung it up on the coat rack. “I tried to get my paperwork done, but I was distracted.”

“And what could possibly distract the great Captain Jack?’ Ianto asked.

“You,” Jack replied turning to Ianto and kissing him. I missed you and just had to see you.”

“I missed you too, Jack,” Ianto said. “Did you think about your answers to my questions?” he asked as he wrapped his arms around Jack’s waist and pulled him close.

Jack nodded his head and rested his chin on Ianto’s shoulder. “I want to be your life mate Ianto and I want to bear your children,” Jack said. “But can you live with the idea that they may be immortal?”

“Yes I can Jack, because it doesn’t matter whether they’re lycan or half lycan or immortal or not; as long as they’re our biological children that’s all I care about, alright cariad?”

“Alright, Jack agreed.

They kissed slowly and passionately for several minutes. Resting their foreheads together Ianto said, “I need to tell the pack elders. They have no say in who I mate with but it is expected that I declare you as my life mate and introduce you to them. It’s tradition.”

“Sort of a meet the pack night, huh?” Jack kidded.

“Yeah,” Ianto agreed. “It’s probably more intimidating than meeting the mother-in-law. There’s a pack meeting a few nights from now.” Hearing Jack’s stomach growl, “I take it you haven’t eaten yet?”

“Nothing since I ate those bacon sarnies you made for me this morning, I was in too much of a hurry to get home to you,” Jack replied honestly.

“Good thing I made Sheppard’s pie tonight and dessert – sound good?”

“Sounds fantastic I’m starving,” Jack agreed.

“Let’s get you fed and then you’re mine for the rest of the night,” Ianto said with a growl that went right to Jack’s groin.

Ianto led him into the kitchen and sat him down at the table before pulling out the pie, salad, some wine, and rolls. Everything smelled delicious and Jack tucked into his meal right away. Once they had finished eating Jack helped Ianto clean up and then Ianto pulled him into the bedroom.

Quickly undressing Jack and then shucking his own clothes, Ianto licked at the bite mark on Jack’s neck. “I can believe it’s still there, you usually heal so fast,” he commented.

“Yeah, I don’t know why I haven’t healed yet; perhaps you wore me out last night,” Jack replied.

Ianto bit him lightly over the top of the existing bite before sucking on his neck. “I want you Jack,” he said. Throwing Jack on the bed he stood looking at him and Jack watched as Ianto morphed into his lycan form.

“You are gorgeous,” Jack said huskily.

This time the lycan talked. He still sounded like Ianto although his voice was deeper and he tended to growl. “And you are my handsome mate.”

“Come here my big bad wolf,” Jack said.

Ianto rolled his eyes at Jack. “It’s a good thing I love you, because your pick up lines are awful and seem to be getting worse,” he replied before pouncing on Jack.

Jack loved the feel of Ianto’s fur against his body. He groaned when Ianto rubbed their erections together. “So good Jack, my Jack,” Ianto said.

“Yes your Jack,” Jack agreed moaning as Wolfie grasped his cock and started stroking it.

“Do you love me Jack?” he asked.

“Yes I love you Ianto,” Jack replied.

“Will you bear my children and be my life mate?” he asked as he started stroking Jack’s cock faster.

“Yes I will,” Jack agreed. “Please Ianto, I can’t stand it,” he panted. He yelped as Ianto moved down and engulfed his cock. As Ianto worked Jack’s cock with his mouth he pushed a slicked finger into Jack’s entrance slipping past the main muscle.

“Fuck that feels good,” Jack said before grabbing Ianto’s ears and stroking them. Inserting another finger he started stretching Jack’s hole preparing him. Pressing on Jack’s prostate Jack yelled as he came down Ianto’s throat. He pulled his mouth off Jack’s cock with a plopping sound and Jack felt Ianto’s fingers withdraw from his body. Holding Jack’s legs wide apart Ianto plunged his cock into Jack and started plowing his hot tunnel. The sound of flesh pounding into flesh filled the room culminating with Jack’s shout as he climaxed once more and then Ianto howling as he shot his seed into Jack.

Ianto pulled out of Jack and lay down next to him. Ianto morphed back into his human form. “I can’t get enough of you Jack,” Ianto said.

“You’re going to have to wait a bit while I recover; you really pounded into me that time,” Jack replied moving around to get comfortable.

“Did I hurt you?” Ianto asked suddenly concerned.

“I don’t think so, but my arse is really sensitive to touch for some reason,” Jack responded.

“Turn over on your stomach and let me take a look,” Ianto said. Jack turned onto his stomach and Ianto got between Jack’s legs and carefully pulled the twin globes apart. He licked the cum off of Jack’s opening to get a better looked and Jack moaned and pushed down against the mattress. “Did that hurt Jack?” he asked.

“No it’s not pain it’s just terribly sensitive,” came the muffled reply. Looking at the ring of muscle it looked a little pink and puffy to Ianto.

“It looks a little irritated. I have something in the kitchen which should help; hold on for a second,” Ianto said getting off the bed and going into the kitchen. Jack heard him moving around in the kitchen and then footsteps padding back into the bedroom. Ianto was back between his legs.

“This should help; now hold still,” he said. Jack felt him pull his cheeks apart and expected him to put some soothing gel or cream on his sensitized opening. Instead he felt something ice cold inserted into his arse. If Ianto hadn’t had grabbed Jack by his hips he would have leaped off of the bed.

“Take it out, take it out,” Jack yelled still trying to escape from Ianto and the frozen thing in his arse.

“Hold still Jack, this will help,” Ianto replied refusing to let go of him or remove the object.

“What the hell is it?” Jack demanded.

“An Ice Lolly.”

“An Ice Lolly – are you insane?” Jack growled.

“What’s the problem? It’s cold and it’s the right shape,” Ianto said sliding it in and out a little bit to emphasize the point. Jack yelped at the movement. “A couple more minutes and your arse will be numb and less sensitive. Besides I don't have anything else on hand which will work. Now stop squawking and hold still." Jack buried his head into the pillow muttering into it but he held still. He could feel it melting into his arse and also down his balls. Ianto held it in there for five minutes before pulling it out and throwing it in the rubbish and cleaning Jack up.

“Is it a little better?” Ianto asked.

“I don’t know,” Jack complained. “I can’t feel my arse!”

“Well, I believe that was the point wasn’t it?” Ianto asked. “It doesn’t look as puffy as it was before, luv.” He lay down beside Jack and started carding his fingers through Jack’s hair eliciting a moan from him. “Just relax Jack; I think we better let you recover until tomorrow,” Ianto said. Jack turned over so he was facing Ianto.

“We need to tell the team,” Jack said quietly.

“About us or me being a lycan?” Ianto asked.

“They need to know about both, especially Owen because he’ll need to know we’re trying to have children and they may be like their Tad,” Jack responded resting his head against Ianto’s chest.

“Does Owen know you can get pregnant?” Ianto asked realizing he’d never heard Jack and Owen discuss it in his presence.

Jack frowned; “I mentioned it to him once, but now that I think of it, I’m not sure he believed me. I guess we have to add that little fact to the list of things we have to discuss with Owen,” Jack said before he yawned.

“Get some sleep Jack,” Ianto said as he kissed the top of Jack’s head before pulling the duvet over them. “I’ll go back to work one day early so we can discuss everything with Owen.”

“Hmm,” was all Jack could manage to say before his tired eyes closed. Ianto watched Jack sleep. He was wide awake, too wired by Jack’s acceptance of his lycan status and overjoyed Jack had agreed to be his life mate and carry their children. He snuggled down further into the bed and pulled Jack closer to him.  
  


  
 


	4. Revelations and a Demonstration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After **Pondering, Promises and an Ice Lolly** Jack and Ianto meet Owen at work the next day to explain things.

This chapter rated PG-13 (Adult concepts)

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Owen was very unhappy about being dragged into work at the ungodly hour of 7:00 a.m. Not even Ianto’s coffee could cheer him up although he didn’t refuse it. He took several sips before he was ready to start a conversation. Finally he asked, “What’s so important you had to drag me into work before 9:00 a.m. Jack?”

Jack smiled. “Ianto and I wanted to talk to you first before the girls arrive. We have some things to tell you and some of it’s medical,” he replied.

Frowning Owen looked from Jack to Ianto and back. “Who's sick?”

Shaking his head Ianto told him, “No, we just need to update our medical files.” He saw the puzzled look on Owen’s face. “Owen, there’s no other way to say this – I’m a lycan.”

“You’re a what?”

“A lycan.”

“As in _An American Werewolf in London_ lycan?” Owen asked.

Ianto rolled his eyes. “Hardly – I’m Welsh; besides I was born a lycan.”

Jack, trying to be helpful mentioned, “You’ve already seen him as a lycan, Owen – remember the Weevil incident in the park about two months ago?”

Owen’s jaw dropped to the floor and it took him a moment to pick it up and ask, “That was you, Ianto? You’re Wolfie?”

Ianto sighed, “Yes that was me Owen, but please do not call me Wolfie.”

“But I’ve examined you numerous times, your blood and other bodily fluids, plus I’ve treated your wounds; there were no indicators you were anything other than human,” Owen complained.

Shrugging his shoulders Ianto explained, “There wouldn’t be any indicators Owen. Except for a few tiny segments on our DNA lycans and humans are the same.

Owen thought about this for a few minutes. “Sounds like medically there would be no difference in how I treat any injuries or illnesses you may have whether you’re in your human form or lycan form – am I correct?”

Nodding his head Ianto said, “That’s correct.”

“Then there’s no need to update your medical file.” Seeing the puzzled expressions on Ianto and Jack’s faces Owen explained, “I don’t want anything in your medical record unless it’s necessary. Since I’d medically do nothing different with you as a lycan or human there’s no need to have it in your medical records, just in case any unauthorized person should get hold of your medical records.”

“Shit, I hadn’t thought of that,” Ianto said running his hand through his hair.

“Well, it’s a good thing I did then,” Owen smiled.

“Yes you did Owen – thanks,” Jack said. “Now I’ve got another item which shouldn’t be in my medical record either. Do you remember when I told you I can get pregnant?”

“Vaguely, I thought you were kidding,” Owen replied then his eyes got wide. “Wait, you really meant that? You can get pregnant?”

Jack nodded and said, “Yep. I’m from the 51st century and many men can bear children.”

“Many men – not all men?” Owen asked.

“It’s a chosen genetic trait which is more common in men who live in the outer colonies. It helps improve the chances of a colony thriving. My family migrated to the Boeshane Peninsula colony and the genetic trait was passed on to my generation.”

“Do you have information on how male pregnancy differs from female pregnancy and what can be expected during a male pregnancy?” Owen asked.

Jack handed him a thumb drive. “It’s all there, disguised as a sci-fi novel. Just make sure none of the information gets on our network.”

“Of course,” Owen replied. “What prompted you and Ianto to share all this information with me this morning?”

Ianto smiled as he reached out and grasp Jack’s hand in his. “Jack’s agreed to be my life mate and bear my children.”

“Well, I guess we know who the wife is then,” Owen joked. Getting glares from Jack and Ianto both unnerved him a bit. Clearing his throat he added nervously, “This isn’t going to be easy though,” getting serious. “I mean pregnancy and Torchwood aren’t a good mix whether it’s a male pregnancy or a female pregnancy. Once you’re pregnant Jack, you’ll have to be pulled out of field work plus when your pregnancy is showing you’ll be confined to the Hub or Ianto’s flat.”

“I know Owen, but we both really want this, so we’ll have to make it work,” Jack said.

“Sounds like you’ve thought this through,” Owen said. “How much do you want to tell the girls?”

“I think they should know I’m a lycan and that Jack’s agreed to be my life mate; the rest can wait until Jack’s pregnant – don’t you think so?” Ianto asked Jack.

“Yeah I think that will give Gwen and Tosh more than enough things to squeal and get all girly about,” Jack agreed grinning at Ianto.

They were right, Gwen and Tosh did squeal with delight later in the day when they found out Jack had agreed to be Ianto’s life mate, but Ianto hadn’t expected all the lycan questions from Gwen. “Does it hurt to transform?” she asked.

“No, it doesn’t,” Ianto replied.

“Can you transform anytime or just during the full moon?”

Rolling his eyes Ianto answered, “I can transform at anytime.”

“Do you have to be naked when you change?”

“I prefer it; otherwise I’d ruin my suits,” he said.

“Do you get a rabies shot every year?”

“What?!” Ianto exclaimed taken by surprise by Gwen’s question.

Gwen gave Ianto her bug-eyed innocent look. “I just wondered if you had to get a rabies vaccine shot each year and if you wear a flea collar.”

Absolutely silence descended on the Hub. Everyone waited for Ianto to respond or explode. Ianto stood ramrod straight and after a moment’s struggle with his temper he managed to reply through clenched teeth, “I’m a lycan, Gwen, not a bloody dog!”

Gwen looked blankly at Ianto and then with a straight face she said, “Oh, sorry; if that’s the case then I guess I won’t ask if you can fetch or lick your own balls.” Everyone except Ianto burst into laughter including Jack. Gwen had been pulling his leg and at first Ianto tried to look angry and upset but eventually the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth won out and he grinned.

“You really had me going there for a minute you welsh cow,” he said playfully punching her in the arm.

Gwen grinned and replied, “Sorry I really couldn’t resist the opportunity to tease you. Seriously though I’m very happy for both of you.”

Ianto glanced over at Toshiko; she seemed liked she was dying to ask a question, but was hesitating. “Tosh, did you want to ask a question or two?” Ianto asked giving her the opportunity.

Tosh perked up; “Yes I would like to if it’s alright,” she answered honestly.

“Go ahead Tosh,” Ianto replied. “I’m sure your questions are better than Gwen’s anyway.”

“Probably,” Gwen agreed as they all chuckled.

“Well I just wanted to know is a lycan lifespan longer than a human’s?” she asked.

Ianto paused, looked at Jack and smiled. “Barring illness or severe injury, a lycan can live to be around 400 years old Tosh,” he answered.

“Really – that’s fantastic!” Tosh exclaimed. “Isn’t it Jack?”

“Yes it is Tosh,” Jack agreed smiling at Ianto. They all knew potentially it meant more time for Jack and Ianto to be together; a little less time Jack would be alone.

“You didn’t have any other questions Tosh?” Ianto asked.

“No, but I do have a request,” Tosh shyly answered. “Could we see you in your lycan form? Just in case we ever run into you in the field so we know it’s you?”

Ianto hesitated; it was an unexpected request. He felt like his lycan form was something private to be shared only with his life mate and his pack.

“She has a valid point Ianto,” Owen said. “Plus it would be a good idea if I got a baseline of your EKG, blood pressure and respiration readings in your lycan form.”

“Oh do it Ianto, we’re all dying to see you in your lycan form,” Gwen added truthfully.

Ianto looked at Jack who smiled and shrugged. “It’s up to you Ianto; I don’t mind but do it only if you’re comfortable,” Jack said.

Looking at his friends again Ianto said, “Alright I’ll do it, but no pictures and the CCTV is turned off – agreed? Owen, Tosh and Gwen all nodded their agreement.

Ianto left the main floor of the Hub and went down to the shower room. He removed his clothes and neatly hung them up in his locker. Securely wrapping a large towel around his waist he headed over to the medical bay where Owen was waiting. Owen placed some wireless electrodes to Ianto’s chest as Gwen and Tosh looked on from the rail at the top of the medical bay. Jack was standing near Ianto offering his silent support to his mate.

“Ready whenever you are Ianto,” Owen said after glancing at the monitors to make certain they were recording Ianto’s heart rate, blood pressure and respirations.

Ianto nodded and looked at Tosh and Gwen. “I’m only doing this once, because I normally only change into my lycan form for myself, my mate or my pack. It’s not a party trick to amuse my coworkers when they’re bored. Is that clear to everyone?”

They all nodded as Tosh said, “Of course, Ianto; we all know this is important to you and we appreciate your willingness to share you lycan form with us.”

Ianto believed Tosh and said, “Right then here goes,” and they all watched at Ianto morphed into his lycan form. Owen and Jack knew what to expect but the girls both gasped and stared. He was taller than Jack, about six feet four inches with massive shoulders and chest. Auburn fur covered his body including his well formed tail. Both girls came down into the medical bay to stand in front of Ianto; Tosh gazed at his face and found the same beautiful blue eyes looking right back at her.

“I’d recognize those eyes anywhere, hello Ianto,” Tosh said with a smile.

“Hi Tosh,” Ianto replied with a little growl in his voice as he gave her a hug. Tosh felt how soft the fur was on his chest.

“Ianto, your fur is tickling my nose,” Tosh said with a laugh. He let her go and turned to Gwen. Gwen lifted one of Ianto’s hands (paws) up and placed her palm against his comparing the size of his to hers.

“You’re bloody huge Ianto,” Gwen blurted out. Leaning a little closer she inhaled his scent. “And you smell good enough to eat,” she added.

“Okay, that’s enough touching and sniffing of my mate,” Jack said gently pulling Gwen away from Ianto.

“Ooh, someone’s a bit possessive,” Gwen said with a smirk.

“Alright show’s over, everyone back to work now,” Owen said as he shooed the girls out of the room. He went over to Ianto and removed the electrodes from his chest along with some of Ianto’s fur. Ianto yelped and then growled a bit at Owen. “Knock it off Ianto and turn your pheromones down. I’m going out for some fresh air.” Owen shut down the monitors, took off his doctor coat, slipped on his leather jacket, and headed out the cogwheel door.

Ianto felt two strong arms wrap around his waist. “Gwen is right, you do smell really good,” Jack whispered into Ianto’s ear. “And your fur is really soft,” he added while stroking his hand down Ianto’s tail a sensation which traveled immediately to Ianto's groin.  Ianto turned around in Jack’s arm and growled, “You should never touch my tail Jack unless you're prepared to pay the price – run.” Jack grinned and ran out of the medical bay heading for his office and his bunker with Ianto in pursuit howling all the way.

“Gwen, let’s take an early lunch,” Tosh suggested.

“An early two-hour lunch,” Gwen agreed grinning. “I’ll call Owen and tell him to meet us in front of the Tourist office.” They logged off their computers, grabbed their purses and headed out for lunch leaving Jack’s laughter and Ianto’s lusty growls filling the empty Hub.

  
   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first time I posted this story one of my UK friends pointed out they don't have rabies in the UK. While I acknowledge this fact, I decided to keep the paragraph as it was originally posted.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Comments and questions are always welcome.


	5. Meet the Pack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto takes Jack to meet the pack elders and his sister.

This chapter rated PG

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Ianto and Jack stood outside a pub a couple of nights later. Jack wasn’t wearing his usual attire; instead he was wearing a navy blue suit, ivory shirt and navy blue tie with red stripes. Ianto was attired in a black suit, burgundy shirt and black tie with burgundy stripes. Ianto reached over and straightened Jack’s tie. “Stop fidgeting Jack and leave your tie alone,” Ianto chided him.

“I feel like this tie is strangling me Ianto,” Jack complained although he kept his hands away from it.

“You can survive wearing it for two hours Jack. You’re meeting the pack elders as well as my sister tonight, so keep the flirting down to a minimum, alright?” Ianto asked.

Jack grasped Ianto’s hand and looked so serious when he said, “I promise I’ll be on my best behavior tonight, Ianto. They’ll see I deserve to be with you.”

Ianto smiled and leaned in to kiss Jack softly on the lips. “Hey, **_we_** _**deserve** _ to be together Jack and I’m so very glad you agreed to be my mate. Ready to face them together, luv?” Jack smiled and nodded.

“What does Blaidd gwâl mean?” Jack asked looking at the pub sign.

“Blaidd gwâl means Wolf Lair,” Ianto replied. “The elders always liked the hide in plain sight approach. Come on we don’t want to keep them waiting.” Ianto led the way into the pub. There was a medium size crowd in the pub. A few people nodded at Ianto and he nodded back as they made their way to the bar. A ginger-haired man stood behind the bar handing out drinks. “Evening Tom,” Ianto said shaking hands with the man.

“Evening Ianto,” Tom greeted back. “And who’s this then?” he asked looking over Ianto’s shoulder at Jack.

“Captain Jack Harkness, and who are you?” Jack said introducing himself. Ianto rolled his eyes at the automatic flirty tone in Jack’s voice.

“Tom Jones – don’t say it! None of that ‘what’s new pussycat’ crap,” Tom admonished, his smile demonstrating he’d heard it all before and yet maintained his sense of humor about the Tom Jones’ jokes. “You here for the elders’ meeting?” he asked Ianto. Ianto nodded. “They’re in the meeting room on the left.”

Ianto thanked him, and he and Jack headed for the meeting room on the left. Knocking at the door Ianto waited until someone on the other side of the door told him to come in before they went into the room. The elders, three men and two women, were gathered around a rectangle table. They acknowledged Jack and Ianto’s presence for a second before returning their attention to the young couple in front of them. “So Jimmy, you’ve asked Samantha to be your wife, your life mate?” the lead elder asked.

Jimmy, a tall, skinny fellow wearing a brown suit which hung on his frame (clearly he’d borrowed it from his dad or a friend) swallowed nervously before replying, “Yes Elder Lloyd, I have asked Samantha to be my life mate.”

“Samantha, do you agree to be Jimmy’s life mate?” Elder Lloyd asked the young woman who stood quietly by Jimmy’s side holding his sweaty hand in hers.

A beautiful smile graced her face as she proudly said, “Yes Elder Lloyd I’ve agreed to be Jimmy’s life mate; I want no other man.”

“Looks like our young pups have grown up and they both know what they want,” Elder Lloyd said to his fellow elders. A few chuckled and all murmured their approval. “Well, we’ve no say in the matter of who you choose to be your life mate, but you have our blessing and we’ll expect invitations to the wedding. Congratulations.” All the elders stood and shook hands with the young couple and a few of them slapped Jimmy on the back clearly pleased with the couple. Ianto and Jack offered their congratulations too.

“Ianto, where’s your sister?” Jack asked.

“I expected her to be here already; she’s running late,” Ianto replied glancing at his watch. “I’m certain she’ll be here soon.”

After the young couple left Elder Lloyd turned to Ianto; “Ianto, it’s good to see you. What can we help Torchwood with today?”

Ianto and Jack were both surprised by his remark. “What?” Ianto said. “No, Elder Lloyd this isn’t a Torchwood matter,” he quickly added.

It was Lloyd’s turn to be surprised. “It’s not? But you’ve brought Captain Harkness with you, Ianto.”

One of the female elders touched Lloyd’s arm and said quietly, “Daffyd, I think Ianto is not here for Torchwood business.”

“He isn’t? Then why – oh dear,” Lloyd said as it dawned on him the only other reason Ianto would be there was a personal one. “Well now I feel like a foolish old wolf,” he said chuckling. “Well Captain Harkness, it’s a pleasure to formally meet you although I’m fairly certain all the elders have known about you for sometime. Let me introduce us. I’m Daffyd Lloyd and I’m the oldest member.” Jack thought Lloyd might be old, but his blue eyes indicated a lively quick mind behind the man’s smile. “This is Harold Jones,” Daffyd said pointing to a taller man with black hair graying at the temples. He sort of resembled Stewart Granger an actor from the 40s Jack had liked. Next he was introduced to Audrey Lloyd apparently Daffyd’s cousin. She was a petit woman perhaps no more than 5 feet 5 inches tall with ginger hair highlighted by the silver strands which were slowly coming to overrun the red. Next to her sat Jenny Pringle, a spry stout woman with her gray hair cut in a short bob and, finally, Bob Harris, a retired fisherman with strong calloused hands, a balding head, mischievous green eyes and an infectious smile.

Ianto was glad Rhiannon was running late; she didn’t know he worked for Torchwood; her finding that little tidbit out would have turned what should have been a happy announcement into a disaster!

“Well, now the introductions are out of the way Ianto, why don’t you tell us why you and the Captain are here?” Daffyd Lloyd suggested as he sat down by his cousin.

Reaching for Jack’s hand he smiled at Jack before turning to his elders. “Elder Lloyd, I have asked Captain Jack Harkness to be my life mate and he’s agreed.” The elders murmured amongst themselves for a moment which made Ianto and Jack a little nervous.

Finally, Elder Lloyd stood up, walked around the table and stood in front of Ianto and Jack. He looked thoughtfully at them before he said, “We are pleased you’ve come today to declare yourselves life mates, but I want to say a couple things to you. Ianto and Jack, we’ve had lycans and humans become life mates many times during the history of our pack and we’ve also had life mates who were the same sex; we will always welcome both into our pack. However, you are lycan and human, both male with strong individual personalities in your own right. On top of all this you both work for Torchwood. You do not have an easy road ahead of you; there will be conflict, hurt and even doubt about your relationship. Some people may even try to break you up because of these factors. I believe you can succeed with a lot of effort on your part.” A knock at the door interrupted Lloyd’s speech. Frowning, he called out, “Come in.” The door opened to reveal a woman slightly older than Ianto. Jack could see the family resemblance. Lloyd smiled, “Oh it’s you, Rhiannon Davies, come in – you’ve almost missed this important moment in your brother’s life.”

“Sorry I’m late, I ran into bit of a traffic jam,” Rhiannon said as she shut the door behind her and sat down on a chair near Ianto.

“Now, where was I? Oh yes,” Daffyd Lloyd smiled and picked up where he had left off. “If you ever need some help, Ianto or Jack, we, your elders, will always be available to listen and to help.” Putting his hand on Ianto’s forearm, he looked Ianto in the eyes and asked, “So Ianto, you’ve asked Captain Jack Harkness to be your life mate?”

Smiling Ianto replied, “Yes Elder Lloyd I have asked Jack to be my life mate.”

Placing his other hand on Jack’s forearm Lloyd asked Jack, “Jack, do you agree to be Ianto’s life mate?”

Grinning Jack responded, “Yes Elder Lloyd, I agree to be Ianto’s life mate.” He heard a soft thud behind him.

Elder Daffyd Lloyd glanced behind two men briefly before smiling and saying, “You have our blessings, Ianto and Jack. Now Ianto, go and pick your sister off the floor – she’s fainted.”


	6. Fainting and a Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After **Meet the Pack** Rhiannon talks with Ianto and Jack.

This chapter **rated PG-13**  
  
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Ianto sat on the floor cradling his sister's head in his lap. He called her name and gently patted her cheek to wake her up but she didn't respond.

Jack kneeled down by her with a glass of water, dipped his fingers in the water and flicked water droplets in her face. She moaned and her eyelids fluttered. “That’s it Rhiannon, wake up,” Ianto said encouragingly. Smiling, Jack got up and quietly left the room. It took a moment before she opened her eyes fully and focused on Ianto’s face.

“Ianto,” Rhiannon said his name softly, “What happened?”

“You fainted,” Ianto replied.

“Fainted; I don’t faint,” Rhiannon grumbled. “Why would I faint?”

“Perhaps you were a little surprised my life mate is a gorgeous man?” Ianto asked raising an eyebrow.

“Bloody hell, Ianto, I really did see you declare your life mate’s a man didn’t I?” she asked.

“Yep you did indeed. Let’s get you up off this floor and you can meet him over a cup of tea,” Ianto said as he helped Rhiannon up.

Ianto helped her over to the empty table where the elders had been sitting during their meeting. They had adjourned the meeting after she fainted in an effort to lessen her embarrassment when she woke up. As she sat down she saw the man Ianto had declared his life mate, ‘ _Jack, his name is Jack_ ,’ she remembered, enter the room with a tray of tea and biscuits. Jack smiled at her as he approached the table and put the tray down. He handed her a cup of strong, sweet tea.

“Glad you’re awake,” Jack said extending his hand. “I’m Captain Jack Harkness; it’s a pleasure to meet you, Rhiannon.”

“Please call me Rhi,” she replied. She watched Jack sit down by Ianto who leaned over and kissed Jack lightly on the lips. ‘ _They look gorgeous together and so in love_ ,’ she thought.

“Rhi, are you alright?” Ianto asked breaking into her thoughts.

“Yes, I’m fine Ianto, just was thinking how handsome you two look together,” Rhi replied.

“Then you’re alright with Jack and me being together?” Ianto asked. She noticed he was holding Jack’s hand and stroking his thumb over the top of Jack’s hand without realizing it.

“I’ll admit it was a bit of a shock at first, I mean after all, you were with Lisa before,” Rhi answered honestly. “But you really do love him, don’t you Ianto?”

Ianto blushed but answered, “Yes Rhi I really do love him and he loves me.”

Rhi smiled at Ianto and Jack; “Well then that’s all that matters then,” she said. Pointing at Jack, she added, “Mind you, Jack, if you break his heart, you’ll answer to me – is that clear?” Rhi look deadly serious.

Jack’s eyes met Rhiannon’s steady gaze. “I’m not sure who’s scarier – you or Ianto,” Jack said with a smile, “but yes, you’re crystal clear.”

“Good; now I expect you and Ianto to come to dinner this Sunday,” Rhi said with a grin.

** tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw **

“What did you think of Rhiannon?” Ianto asked as he parked his car in front of his flat.

“She’s not shy,” Jack said with a grin.

“Understatement of the century,” Ianto said with a laugh.

“I think she’s okay with us being life mates,” Jack said leaning over to kiss Ianto. “And she strongly believes in protecting family; I like her but I’m intimidated by her a little.”

“That’s my big sister,” Ianto agreed. “No one wants to seriously piss her off including her husband, Johnny. Come on let’s get upstairs and I’ll prepare a warm bath for us. How does that sound?”

Jack grinned and said, “Race ya!” and was halfway to the flat before Ianto caught up with him.

He wasn’t sure what woke him up from a sound sleep. Normally after a robust round or two of passionate lovemaking Ianto would sleep soundly. He was spooned against Jack’s back and Jack was moving restlessly and whimpering in his sleep. “No . . . don’t . . . please help him,” Jack said tears running down his face. Ianto turned the bedside lamp on low before softly calling out Jack’s name trying to wake him up. After a few tries Jack woke up confused at first but then he realized he was with Ianto in his flat. Embarrassed, he turned his head away from Ianto but Ianto was having none of it.

Turning Jack in his arms so he was facing him Ianto said, “Hey, it’s alright Jack; there’s no shame in having nightmares. You taught me that - remember?” He brushed the tears from Jack’s face.

“I’m supposed to be strong,” Jack began to say but Ianto shushed him by placing his fingers to Jack’s lips.

“Yes, you’re supposed to be the strong leader of Torchwood when you’re on the job,” Ianto said, “But when you’re in this flat with me you’re just Jack and I’m just Ianto; two people who’ve been through so much trauma. We’re allowed to cry and have nightmares and to hold and comfort each other. So there’s no need for you to be embarrassed, alright?”

Jack managed a small smile for Ianto. “Alright,” he agreed.

 He carded his fingers through Jack’s hair. “Think you can talk about your nightmare?” he asked gently.

 Jack leaned into Ianto’s touch and closed his eyes briefly. “I think so,” he murmured.

 “Just take your time, Jack; there’s no rush,” Ianto said.

Slowly Jack told Ianto how the Master had tortured and killed him repeatedly during his captivity. “But he didn’t break my spirit until he captured you. Owen, Gwen and Tosh had been killed in the Himalayas, but you were captured. The Master gloated as he explained my team was dead except for you. Two men dragged you into my cell, naked and beaten. You managed to get up off the floor and walk over to where I was chained up and you kissed me and told me you loved me. Before I could say it back the Master walked up behind you, reached around and stabbed you in the stomach. You tried to hold on to me but you lost your grip and fell to the floor. He just left you there on the floor bleeding to death,” Jack said as he tears started to fall from his face. “I screamed and begged them to help you but he just laughed and they all left the cell. It took you hours to die, Ianto, and I couldn’t help you or even hold you. Even while you were dying you tried to comfort me and tell me everything’s was going to be alright and then you died. I couldn’t save you and it was my fault. I failed to protect you and the team; I’m sorry Ianto, I sorry.” Jack was sobbing in his arms.

Ianto knew all of this had happened during the Year That Never Was and it had devastated Jack. “It’s alright Jack, you, Martha and the Doctor fixed everything and reset the timeline. It never happened for the rest of us. It’s okay, it’s okay,” he repeated as he held Jack in his arms. Jack wasn’t calming down though, so Ianto morphed into his lycan form hoping it would help. Jack felt Ianto morph and found comfort in Ianto’s strong embrace, the texture of his fur, the sound of his steady heartbeat, and his reassuring scent. Slowly Jack calmed down and eventually Ianto heard his breathing even out and felt his body relax. He kept vigil over his life mate the rest of the night keeping the nightmares at bay.  
  



	7. Pursued and a Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After **Fainting and a Nightmare** Jack is pursued through tunnels.

Jack slipped into the dark room and ducked behind the cartons of medical supplies. He listened for his pursuer but heard only the sound of water dripping from somewhere in the tunnels. Several minutes passed before Jack was convince he’d lost his pursuer. Slowly he moved towards the door and peered out in the hallway; no sign of movement anywhere. He headed back the way he had come going past other storage rooms thinking all was clear when two arms clamped around his waist from behind causing him to yelp in surprise.

“I believe I win, sir,” Ianto growled in his ear, He pulled Jack’s naked body against his lycan form. Jack moaned when he felt Ianto’s erection rubbing against his arse. “It’s too bloody cold down here to claim my prize though, so,” Ianto turned Jack around and hefted him over his shoulder and carried him upstairs. 

“Jack, Ianto?”

“Fuck,” Ianto muttered. It was Tosh. “I thought she left.”  


“I thought she did too,” Jack said still hanging over Ianto’s shoulder. “Usually it’s Gwen who interrupts.”

“Ianto, is that you? Where are you – oh dear,” Tosh said as she came in view and spotted Ianto in all his lycan glory with Jack apparently slung over his shoulder. She couldn’t quite be sure because all she saw was his naked arse over Ianto’s shoulder and his legs draped across the lycan’s form fortunately covering Ianto’s manhood.  “Sorry guys, I forgot my mobile and came back for it. Didn’t mean to interrupt Naked Hide and Seek,” she said blushing.

“Quite alright Tosh,” Ianto replied, feeling his erection quickly flagging, wishing the floor would open up and swallow him and Jack before he died of embarrassment. “We’re just going to go into Jack’s office.”

“I’m sorry,” Tosh said, “but we just got a call from the police; they think they have a spooky doo case for us.”

“Bugger! Ianto, turn around,” Jack said with a sigh. Ianto turned around so Jack could see Tosh. “Call Owen and Gwen, tell them to meet us at the scene; Ianto and I will go throw some clothes on and then we’ll go.”

“Okay Jack, I’ll call them right now,” Tosh agreed and headed over to her workstation while Ianto carried Jack to his office.

“Stop playing with my tail Jack!” Ianto growled slapping Jack’s arse. Tosh had to bite her lip to keep from bursting out laughing.

**tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw**

Ianto watched in amazement; he’d never seen Jack so undecided before about what to wear. What to wear to work? No problem, Jack could be dressed in a minute for work because his closet was full of the same kind of clothes which would be color coordinated even if Jack closed his eyes and just grabbed a shirt and trousers from the right side of the closet. Jack had made a point of getting a new suit for the meeting with the pack elders, but what to wear for dinner at Rhiannon’s flat – he was clueless.

Getting up from the bed he walked over and took the shirts from Jack’s hands. “Jack relax, it’s just an informal dinner with Rhiannon, Johnny and the kids; not an invasion,” Ianto said kissing him lightly on the lips.

Jack sighed and leaned his forehead against Ianto’s. “Fighting off invasions like the sleeper cell 114 we just dealt with is something I know how to do, Ianto. It’s this domestic stuff like having dinner with Rhiannon’s family that throws me; I haven’t done this in over a hundred years and I’m scared I’m gonna screw this up. Besides, you’re not helping me,” Jack complained.

Ianto pulled away enough so he could see Jack’s face. “How am I not helping you?” he asked.

“You’re wearing the sexy Ianto Levi outfit; you know I get distracted when you wear it,” Jack said admiring the way Ianto’s jeans snuggly fitted his arse and how good he looked in it and the red dress shirt as well.

Ianto laughed, “I apologize for distracting you, Jack. Let me help you pick your outfit,” he added. Reaching into the closet he pulled out a pair of Levi jeans, a navy blue dress shirt and a black leather bomber jacket. “Wear these with those black dress boots and I promise to keep my hands off of you until we come back home.”

Thirty minutes later Ianto pulled his car up near Rhiannon’s home. “Ready?” Ianto asked Jack.

“Can I at least take a taser with me?” Jack joked half heartedly.

“Nope, just the bottle of wine and the chocolates we bought,” Ianto replied with a grin. They got out of the car and Ianto made sure it was lock.

“Nice neighborhood,” Jack commented as they walked towards the house.

“Most of the neighbors are pack members so it’s a really good place to raise the children,” Ianto agreed. He knocked on the front door and after a moment Rhiannon opened the door.

“Punctual as usual Ianto,” she said. “I see I didn’t scare Jack off yet; hello Jack,” she added with a grin.

“Not a chance,” Jack replied smiling. Holding up a gift bag he added, “We bring wine and chocolates.”

Peering into the tote she nodded her approval. “You’ve bought the good stuff; you may come in,” Rhi said opening the door fully and gesturing for them to come in. Rhi took the tote from Jack and carried it into the kitchen. “Plunk yourselves down on the couch. Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes.”

Jack and Ianto took off their jackets and hung them on the coat rack. “Rhi where are Johnny and the children?” Ianto asked.

”They went to the cinema this afternoon so I could have some peace and quiet, but they’ll be back in time for dinner,” Rhi replied from the kitchen. “Do you two want beer or wine?”

“Beer please,” Ianto replied.

“Wine for me please,” Jack said. He got up and took the tray from Rhi when she walked in and placed it on the coffee table.

“Thank you Jack,” Rhi said as she handed out the beverages before she sat down in a stuffed chair and faced Jack and Ianto.

Ianto took a sip of his beer and casually draped his arm over Jack’s shoulders hoping to help calm the tension he felt coming off his life mate’s body. “What are you up to Rhi?” he asked raising an eyebrow at his only sibling.

Rhi took a sip of her wine before replying, “I thought we might have a chat without the hubby and the kids around,” she admitted. “Don’t worry Ianto, I’ve no objections to you two being life mates.” Ianto felt some of the tension leave Jack’s body. “Jack, what do you know about us lycans?” she asked.

Jack put his wine glass down. “Well, I know Welsh lycans have always been here and that you usually only have one life mate and live to be around 400 years old. You’re an ancient society and pretty much keep to yourselves. When you’re in lycan form you’re usually bigger in size, stronger and your pheromones can be pretty overpowering when you want them to be.”

“That’s all true,” Rhi agreed. “We aren’t able to change into our lycan forms until we’re 20 or 21 years old, so don’t expect my kids to change into lycan cubs when you babysit – and you will babysit once in a while now that you and Ianto are together,” she added. “Mind you, you’ll not babysit them at your Torchwood headquarters under the Plass, though.”

Ianto choked on his beer and Jack was left speechless by her last remark. Finally, when Ianto was able to breathe again he said, “Rhi, I work for the  – “

“Welsh Tourist Information; not bloody likely Ianto,” Rhi remarked. “We’ve seen you and Jack along with some other people, chasing those sewer things around Cardiff. Besides the SUV with _Torchwood_ emblazoned on it kind of negates your lousy cover story. Torchwood’s been around Cardiff since the late 1800s.”

Jack laughed. “I guess we are the worse kept secret in Cardiff Ianto,” he admitted.

“Apparently,” Ianto agreed.

Any further discussion was cut off by the Johnny returning with the kids.

“How’s it going gay boy?” Johnny said with glee.

Rhi and Ianto both rolled their eyes at Johnny. “Jack, this is my idiot husband, Johnny,” Rhi swatting Johnny’s arm.

“Hello, glad to meet you at last Jack,” Johnny said shaking hands with Jack before heading to the kitchen in search of a beer.

“And these are my two kids, David and Mica,” she added with pride.

David shook hands with Jack and Mica climbed into his lap. Gazing at Jack Mica asked, “Are you my Uncle Ianto’s life mate?”

“Yes I am,” Jack admitted not sure where Mica was going with this question.

Mica seemed satisfied with his answer and said, “Then you’re Uncle Jack,” and hugged him taking him by surprise. He closed his eyes and hugged her back. 

“Thank you Mica,” he said softly.

Rhi came out of the kitchen and saw her daughter in Jack’s lap giving him a big hug. Jack looked pleased but a little overwhelmed; it was a lovely sight. Ianto was smiling at Jack and Mica. She broke the moment saying, “Alright Mica, let your Uncle Jack breathe again; it’s time for dinner. You and David go wash your hands.”

Dinner was simple; roasted chicken with potatoes, broccoli and rolls. Mica had insisted on sitting between Uncle Ianto and Uncle Jack and Rhi watched with amusement how easily her young daughter had taken a shine to Jack telling him about the movie they’d seen and what she was doing in school while David talked with Ianto and his dad about the latest football matches.

After dinner Jack and Ianto chatted with Johnny and Rhi in the living room while the kids played video games upstairs. Rhi had a little bit of trouble getting the kids to get ready for bed until Ianto and Jack agreed to read a story to them. Mica insisted Uncle Jack had to sit by her bed and hold her hand while Ianto read a couple of chapters of Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince. They said good night and turned the lights out leaving a nightlight on to shoo away bad dreams.

“They’re asleep at last,” Ianto said when they joined Rhi and Johnny again in the living room. “We should head out too; I know you both have to get up early.”

“Too true,” Johnny agreed getting up from the couch. “It was nice meeting you Jack,” he added shaking hands again with Jack.

“Pleasure meeting you Johnny,” Jack replied.

“It was lovely having you and Ianto over for dinner,” Rhi said handing them their jackets. “You’ve got Mica’s stamp of approval, Jack so you’re officially family now.”

“Thanks Rhi; you have two great kids. You’re a fantastic Mom,” Jack replied.

She walked them to the door and gave each of them a hug.

“It was a lovely dinner Rhi, thanks,” Ianto said.

“You’re welcome. You know, you two are great with kids; maybe you should think about adopting or using a surrogate and have a couple of kids yourselves,” Rhi said. “I mean I know you’re busy with your work, but it’s something to think about.”

Smiling Ianto agreed, “It’s certainly something to consider.” They left Rhi’s home walking hand in hand.  
  



	8. Head and Tail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After _**Pursued and a Dinner**_ Jack and Ianto go back to the flat.

This chapter **rated Mature.**  
  
**tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~t** **** **w~tw~tw**  
  


“So, are you glad the dinner with my sister and her family is out of the way?” Ianto asked as they entered the flat. He helped Jack take off his jacket and hung it up alongside his on the coat rack.

“I’ll admit I was nervous right up until Mica sat down on my lap and called me Uncle Jack,” he answered truthfully. “She stole my heart when she did that.”

Ianto wrapped his arms around Jack’s waist and pulled him against him. “Should I be jealous of my own niece?” he asked with a chuckle.

Brushing his lips against Ianto’s Jack whispered, “Never; I am and always will be yours. Do you think Rhi is right that we will be good parents?”

“Only one way to find out,” Ianto replied kissing Jack. His tongue explored Jack’s mouth before breaking away long enough to mutter, “Bed – now.” Jack responded with a grin and raced down the hallway to their bedroom. In seconds Jack had stripped off all his clothes, turned the bedclothes down and lay stretched out on his side waiting for Ianto to join him. “In a hurry are we?” Ianto teased. He slowly took his shirt off, his shoes, socks, and finally his jeans. He grinned mischievously as he morphed into his lycan form and pounced on Jack.

“Oh no you don’t; down boy,” Jack said rolling them over so he was on top of Ianto. “I want to explore your lycan body before we commence procreating,” he said in husky voice. Jack moved so his head was between Ianto’s legs. He grasped Ianto’s erection and pulled the foreskin back and gently licked the tip before blowing air across it making Ianto moan. He took Ianto’s cock into his mouth and proceeded to give him a thorough blowjob. When Ianto thought it couldn’t get any better, Jack upped the ante by stroking Ianto’s tail from base to tip repeatedly while working Ianto’s cock. Ianto thrust his hips and moaned. Jack thought he was in total control until his felt Ianto parting his arse cheeks and a tongue licking his crinkled entrance. He moaned and Ianto felt the vibrations. They pleasured each other until they both came. Jack grabbed some tissues and cleaned his cum off of Ianto’s stomach then lay down on his side facing Ianto.

Ianto stroked his hand over Jack’s stomach. “In my dreams you’re here with me in our bed, naked and your belly is swollen with our child. So beautiful,” Ianto said. His tail brushed over Jack’s hip as he leaned forward to lick Jack’s neck. “I want you cariad, on your hands and knees,” he growled. Jack shivered with excitement and quickly assumed the position. He felt the bed dip as Ianto moved behind him. Hands pulled his arse cheeks apart and a slicked finger entered his opening. Other fingers were added as Ianto quickly prepared him.

“Need you in me, Ianto,” Jack begged. He felt empty when Ianto pulled his fingers away but they were quickly replaced by the head of Ianto’s cock. Slowly Ianto sank inside Jack and growled in pleasure. Stroking slowly at first he steadily increased his thrusts hitting Jack’s sweet spot.

“Come for me Jack,” Ianto rasped out before biting him at the juncture where Jack's neck met his shoulder.

“Ianto!” Jack shouted as he came again, his body clamping down on Ianto’s erection. A few more quick thrusts and Ianto howled shooting his seed into his lover. He morphed back into human form and carefully pulled out of Jack who turned and lay down on his side looking tired yet sated.

“I’ll be right back,” Ianto said kissing Jack’s shoulder. He cleaned himself up quickly before returning with a flannel and cleaning up a sleepy Jack. Ianto tossed the used flannel back in the bathroom then crawled into bed with Jack pulling the duvet over them.

Jack snuggled against Ianto and sighed happily. “Love you,” he managed to say with a yawn before closing his eyes and falling asleep.

“Love you too,” Ianto replied wrapping his arms around Jack. It dawned on Ianto he used to be the one who fell asleep first after their robust lovemaking. He didn’t mind though; the lycan in him enjoyed watching over his sleeping mate.

**tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw**  
  
Gentle fingers carded through his hair bringing Jack to the edge of wakefulness. “Time to get up cariad,” Ianto said softly. Jack responded by clutching Ianto’s pillow to his chest and ducking his head under the duvet. Ianto chuckled. “Don’t make me go get an ice lolly out of the freezer, Jack,” he threatened. 

Remembering what Ianto did with the ice lolly the last time, Jack sat up in bed still clutching Ianto’s pillow. “You don’t play fair Ianto,” Jack said pouting at his mate.

“I learned from you Jack,” Ianto replied with a grin. Offering Jack the coffee mug he held in his hand Ianto added, “I’ll trade you this cup of coffee for my squished pillow.”

“Deal,” Jack agreed sitting up in bed, handing the pillow over and taking the coffee mug from Ianto. He took a sip and smiled.

“Wish you wouldn’t crush my pillow,” Ianto huffed as he fluffed his pillow before placing it on the bed.

“I wouldn’t have to if you would stay in bed with me,” Jack countered.

“As much as I love staying in bed with you Jack, we’ve got to go to work. We’re waking up Tommy today, remember? So finish your coffee and grab a shower while I make us some toast.”

It was supposed to be routine; defrost and wake up Tommy, let him spend the day with Tosh and then back into the freezer to wait another year. Instead the intrusion of 1918 into the old military hospital and the release of the temporal lock on their Torchwood instructions changed everything. Tosh found out she was the one who would help talk Tommy into using the Rift key to lock 1918 and himself back into place. She took Tommy home with her and spent one last night together. The next day Tosh convinced a once again shell-shocked Tommy into using the key. He did and Tommy was back in 1918 and the timeline was back to normal. Things were fine, except Tosh was heartbroken. Ianto felt powerless to help Tosh.

Ianto climbed the last flight of stairs to the roof remembering his conversation with Jack yesterday after Tosh took Tommy home with her:

_After everyone else left Ianto put the Hub into night mode with minimal lighting. He wandered over to Jack’s office. Jack heard him approach and said, “This time tomorrow he’ll be back in 1918.” He sounded a little sad._

_Still standing outside of Jack’s office in the shadows Ianto said, “In his own time. Would you go back to yours if you could?” he asked wondering if Jack wanted to go back._

_Raising his eyebrows Jack responded, “Why – would you miss me?”_

_Nodding his head once Ianto responded simply, “Yep.”_

_Shuffling the papers together Jack placed them in a folder and closed it. “I left home a long time ago. Never known where I really belong; maybe that doesn’t matter anymore.”_

_Joining Jack in his office, Ianto sat down on the corner of his desk and gazed at his lover. “I . . . do you get lonely?” he asked worried that he wasn’t enough to fill the empty places in Jack’s heart._

_Jack looked into Ianto’s eyes and said with utter conviction, “Going home wouldn’t fix that. Being here I’ve seen things I never dreamt I’d see. Loved people I would have never known if I had just stayed where I was. And I wouldn’t change that for the world.”_

Ianto remembered how he had kissed Jack like a man possessed and how Jack had kissed him back with the same intensity.

Once he reached the roof he spotted his mate, the holder of his heart, standing looking westward watching the sun’s last rays fading over the horizon. “Penny for them,” he said to Jack coming to stand by his side.

“I was trying to think of some way to help Tosh, but only time will ease her pain,” Jack admitted. “Another tragedy heaped on her by Torchwood.”

“No good deed goes unpunished,” Ianto agreed. “Perhaps we could pick up some takeout and stop by her place to check on her,” he suggested.

“Or, we could pick her up and take her back to your flat,” Jack began.

“Our flat,” Ianto corrected.

Jack smiled. “Our flat and have wine, take out and watch comedies or something.”

“Brilliant – let’s do it,” Ianto agreed.

Tosh had protested at first, but Jack persuaded her to join them at their flat. They drank wine and ate Chinese takeaway food, watched Three Stooges DVDs, Monty Python’s Holy Grail and then proceeded to play Twister until they were too drunk to stand and fell into a heap of drunken giggles.  
  
**tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw**  
  
**A note from socalrose:** Do you think they helped Tosh a little bit? What would you have done to help Tosh? I'd like to know.  
  
Would you have played with Ianto's tail? Your comments and questions mean a lot to me, so please share your thoughts.  
  



	9. Warehouses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long; it was a difficult chapter to write for some unknown reason. You need to have seen or read a synopsis of **Torchwood Series 2, Episode 4: Meat** in order to understand the section titled, "Meat Warehouse." You can find the episode on YouTube or read a synopsis at this link:  [ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meat_(Torchwood) ](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meat_\(Torchwood\))
> 
> Thanks to my friend Brenda for beta reading this chapter and putting up with my ranting!

****  
This chapter rated PG-13  
  


 

**tw~tw~tw~tw tw~tw tw~tw**

**Costco Warehouse**  
  
“Mummy?” The little boy clutched his blue toy doggy to his small chest for comfort. All the adults were walking past him totally ignoring him. One moment he was next to the trolley Mummy was pushing around in Costco and now he couldn’t find her. His lower lip quivered and tears threatened to spill down face. 

“Where’s your mummy?” a gentle voice asked. The little boy turned to see a man in a big RAF coat crouching down next to him looking concerned.

“I dunno,” the boy replied as big crocodile tears rolled down his face.

“My name is Jack, what’s your name?”

“Freddy.”

Jack smiled at the ginger-haired toddler and said, “Well, that’s a great name, Freddy. Why don’t we go to the customer service desk and find your mummy; I bet she’s very worried about you, okay?”

The boy looked at Jack for a moment. He really wanted to find his mummy. “Okay,” he replied raising his open arms to Jack. Jack picked the boy up and pulled out his handkerchief using it to wipe the tears from the boy’s face. Freddy clung to his coat lapels like a limpet.

“Now you keep an eye out for your mummy as we head to the service desk,” Jack instructed. “Shout out if you spot her.” Freddy nodded his understanding and looked around the store for his mummy.

Ianto wheeled the trolley into the main aisle of Costco. It was filled with tins of biscuits, green tea, coffee supplies, a whole raw turkey (a treat for Myfanwy), and a few personal items for Ianto and Jack. He easily spotted Jack and was surprised to see Jack holding a ginger-haired toddler who was searching the crowd for someone.  “ _Must have gotten separated from his mother_ ,” Ianto thought. Pushing the trolley over to Jack, Ianto simply asked, “Lost?”

Jack replied with a nod as he steadily walked through the crowd towards the service desk. “This is Freddy and we’re looking for his mummy.”

“Hi Freddy, my name is Ianto. Have you spotted your Mummy yet?”

Freddy started shaking his head, but stopped and pointed. “There’s Mummy! Mummy, Mummy!” Freddy screamed in a high pitch voice which made both Ianto and Jack cringe as the sound pierced right through their skulls.

They both spotted the frantic woman making her way other to them. “Freddy, Mummy’s here!” she said. Jack handed the toddler to her the moment she was within reach. “It’s alright darling, it’s alright,” she repeated while hugging Freddy.

“I was so scared Mummy,” Freddy said tears running down his face again.

The mother was crying too. “I was scared too, sweetie when I couldn’t find you. It’s all my fault; I shouldn’t have been chatting on my stupid mobile when I should have been keeping an eye on you. I’m so sorry Freddy,” she said.

Jack had watched the reunion of mother and son and with her ginger hair it was obvious Freddy was her son. He handed his handkerchief to the mother simply saying, “Here.”

The woman accepted it and wiped the tears from Freddy’s face and her own. “Thank you so much for helping my son. I’m Marci Taylor and you are?”

“Captain Jack Harkness and this is my partner, Ianto Jones,” Jack replied as he offered his hand. Instead of shaking his hand Marci hugged Jack which was more like a group hug since she was still holding Freddy.

“Thank you for helping my Freddy,” she said. “If you hadn’t helped him, something bad could have happened.”

Jack gave her a reassuring pat on the back. “But it didn’t and Freddy is safe in your arms again,” he reminded her.

“Yes he is – thank goodness,” Marci agreed pulling away from Jack to look at her son and hug the toddler again. “Thank Jack for saving you Freddy.”

Freddy leaned away from his mummy just enough to hug Jack, say “Thank you,” and give him a big kiss on the cheek.

Jack actually blushed and only managed to say, “You’re welcome Freddy.”

Ianto watched this exchange with amusement; it was fun watching Jack get flustered by a hug and a kiss from a toddler. They waved goodbye to Marci and Freddy and watched them merge into the crowd to finish their shopping. Touching Jack’s arm Ianto leaned in closer and said, “You’re a hero.”

Jack, who was still watching Marci and Freddy weaving through the crowd turned to Ianto and said, “Nah," waving his hand as if batting the compliment away. “I just helped a little boy who lost his mummy.”

Shaking his head in disagreement Ianto countered, “Not according to Marci; she knew what could have happened to Freddy if you hadn’t stopped to help. Just accept the fact, Jack – you’re a hero and you didn’t even have to chase an alien to do it.”

Jack smiled. “Hadn’t thought of it that way, thanks Ianto. Freddy’s sure a cute kid, isn’t he?”

“Yes, but our children will be bloody gorgeous,” Ianto proclaimed with confidence. They started processing their order with the cashier. Before Jack could say anything both of them heard a beep in their ear comms followed by Gwen’s voice.

“Jack, Ianto where are you?” Gwen asked over the comms.

“Just checking out of Costco Gwen,” Ianto replied. “What’s up?”

“Fatal traffic accident involving a lorry on the motorway; police think they’ve found suspicious cargo and they want us to check it out.”

Ianto paid for the order and was pushing the trolley out to the parking lot. “We’ll swing by the Hub; Jack will drop me off and pick you lot up. Be there in ten minutes,” Ianto confirmed as he and Jack finished loading the supplies into the boot blissfully unaware of what lay ahead.

**tw~tw~tw~tw tw~tw tw~tw**

**Meat Warehouse**  
  
He was almost free of the rope they’d used to bind his wrists. ‘ _Keep talking Jack, I’m almost free_ ,’ Ianto thought. Jack, Tosh and Gwen had come out of hiding and thrown down their guns when Dale and two of his men had dragged Ianto and Rhys into the warehouse as hostages. Jack was talking and distracting them while watching Ianto’s eyes for a signal. Gwen piped up and tried to persuade Dale to surrender. Dale, who was holding his gun to Ianto’s chest turned and aimed the gun at Gwen. 

“You lied to me,” Dale said and pulled the trigger. Rhys pushed Gwen out of the way and the bullet hit him in his shoulder. Ianto freed himself and grabbed Dale’s gun. As they struggled for control, several wild shots hit the giant alien creature the bastards had been butchering. Still alive the creature struggled rolling back and forth trying to break the cables that held it down, preventing Jack from reaching Ianto or getting a clear shot at Dale with his recovered gun. Dale punched Ianto in the kidney and shoved him to the ground.

“Jack!” Ianto yelled as he heard Dale pull the trigger – the gun jamming. Dale fled and Ianto, momentarily dazed, didn’t chase him.

Jack, still trapped by the flailing creature shouted, “Ianto, go after them!” Ianto got up and staggered after Dale and the other two men who had fled. He caught up with one of the gunmen in the hallway and used the stun gun on him. In the lab where the bastards had been making the sedative to keep the creature under control Ianto found Owen had caught another one of the men and stunned him as well.

“You’ve got to help them; it’s out of control,” Ianto told Owen.

“On it,” Owen replied, “The sedative I was going to use won’t work now.” Grabbing a different large container of medicine and a huge syringe he added, “I have to change the plan.” Owen headed back to the warehouse while Ianto went in search of Dale and his business partner.

He found the two in a small office. Ianto took out Dale’s partner by slamming the door against him and using the stun gun to finish him. Dale was crouched on the floor by the safe, another bag partially filled with money. Dale grabbed a gun off the table in front of him, but Ianto kicked it out of his hand. He morphed into his lycan form partially ripping his suit.

Scrambling back like a clumsy crab Dale tried to escape but Ianto trapped him against the wall.

“What the hell are you!?” Dale yelled in fear.

Ianto growled and bared his teeth an inch away from Dale’s face. He drew some satisfaction when Dale pissed himself. “You threatened me, my mate and my team; pray they survived,” Ianto barked out and placed the stun gun against Dale’s forehead and fired. He handcuffed the stupid wankers to the table and then ran back to warehouse remembering to change back to human form since Rhys didn’t know he was a lycan.

It was over; they had stopped the illegal and inhumane operation but Owen had had to put down the creature. Ianto walked over to Jack and hugged him for a moment reassuring Jack and in turn being reassured they were both alive before returning to the business at hand. Tosh, Gwen and Owen took an unconscious Rhys back to Hub so Owen could properly treat his shoulder. Jack called in UNIT to help with the disposal of the alien while he and Ianto retconned Dale and company.

“Those stupid wankers should really pay for what they did to that poor creature,” Ianto said as he drove the Harwood Haulage lorry back to Cardiff minus the alien meat.

“And for what they did to you and Rhys,” Jack agreed placing his hand on Ianto’s thigh wanting physical contact to prove Ianto was alright. “But we both know there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“At least they won’t profit from what they did; all the money from the safe is in the two overnight bags and when we get back to the Hub I’ll ask Tosh to remove all the money they’ve earned from their bank accounts and cancel all their credit cards,” Ianto said with determination.

Jack nodded in agreement. “And what should we do with the confiscated money?” he asked.

Ianto thought about it a moment. “I think we should donate it to Children in Need, Cardiac Risk in the Young, Ty Hafan, and Dogs Trust,” he replied.

A smile played across Jack’s face. “Sounds good to me; let’s do it.”

  


**tw~tw~tw~tw tw~tw tw~tw  
** ****  
**Note from socalrose:** Like I mentioned earlier, this chapter drove me nuts. The first section with the little lost toddler flowed out onto the screen effortlessly and was suppose to show the domestic side of their relationship. The second section wouldn't flow or be dragged onto the screen making me wish I had done the whole story as an AU, but too late now. In addition the chapter became too long so it's broken into two chapters.   
  
Please tell me if this chapter worked for you or not; comments, suggestions and questions are always welcomed! 

 


	10. Cows and Choices

Here's what was originally the second half of Chapter 09, but it grew so large it deserved its own chapter. One of the Lycan Pack Elders, Harold Jones, (the one who Jack thought resembled the actor Stewart Granger) makes an appearance.

Thanks to my friend Brenda for beta reading this chapter and putting up with my ranting!   
  
** This chapter rated PG-13. **

** **

**tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw**

 

**Cows and Choices**

Ianto stormed out through the fake Tourist office slamming the door and not bothering to lock it. “Stupid Welsh cow!” he muttered pulling his coat on and striding off in the direction of the Blaidd gwâl (Wolf Lair) pub. Once there he walked straight to the barman, ordered a pint of bitters, paid for his drink, and sat down at a table in the far corner of the pub. Ianto drank half the pint in one long swallow before putting the glass down on the table with a slight thump. He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed as he tried to calm down.

“You’ve had a row, haven’t you?”

Opening his eyes, Ianto looked up to see Harold Jones, one of the pack elders, looking down at him obviously concerned.

“Yeah,” Ianto admitted quietly.

“I figured as much; the way you stomped in here I thought you were going to morph to lycan form and start tearing the pub up,” Harold added, pulling out a chair and sitting down next to Ianto. “Daffyd told you taking a human male as a life mate wouldn’t be an easy road. He also told you we’d be glad to help you anyway we can. Do you want to talk about it?”

“Wish I could, but it involves my work,” Ianto replied.

“Ah, I see your dilemma,” Harold agreed. Lowering his voice a little he suggested, “Look, why don’t I tell you what I know about the _company_ you work for and then you can decide what you can tell me, alright?”

“Okay.”

“There’s something in Cardiff which allows creatures and things to come here from other places and times and your _company_ tries to protect Cardiff against what comes through,” Harold began, getting a faraway look in his eyes. “I was just a teenager when I first became aware of Torchwood; when those two bitches were in charge (referring to Alice Guppy and Emily Holroyd). Those two heartless hags were dangerous, so I stayed out of their way,” he confessed with a slight smile focusing back to Ianto. “Over the years, I’ve occasionally seen some Torchwood people in action, including your Jack and I’ve heard rumors your people sometimes make people forget about _certain incidents_ associated with those creatures and things.” Harold paused and drank some of his beer. “So, do you think you can share what happened between you and Jack?”

Ianto took another swig of his beer. “Bloody hell, Harold – does the whole pack know about Torchwood?”

“Hmm, most pack members are aware of Torchwood on some level. I mean it’s kind of hard to ignore some of the creatures, because they stink of the sewer, but mainly the elders know more about Torchwood simply because we're each over 150 years old and very observant. After all we need to know what’s going on for the safety of the pack.”

“I hadn’t thought of it that way, but you’re right,” Ianto agreed and then he realized something else. “So the elders know Jack has lived a long time and yet none of you questioned us about it when I announced he was my life mate – how come?”

Harold chuckled a little. “Jack’s a human, perhaps an _exotic_ human, but human nevertheless. Besides, it’s none of our business, Ianto; you love who you love.”

Ianto relaxed a little bit after Harold’s reassurance. “I guess it would be okay to discuss what happened in general terms,” he admitted.

“Good,” Harold said sounding pleased. Standing up he added, “Let’s take a walk so you can burn off some of that angry energy while you explain the situation.” They put on their coats and headed out into the night. Harold listened and watched as Ianto talked and gestured explaining the space whale incident in a heavily edited version.

“In the end, we couldn’t save the alien,” Ianto said sadly.

“And you were almost killed, a coworker’s husband was shot and some of the team was almost crushed,” Harold ticked off the other facts Ianto had talked about. “You all had very close calls, but that doesn’t explain your row with Jack.”

“That actually happened afterwards,” Ianto said. “Once we were back to our base, our medic took care of the coworker’s husband’s gunshot wound and just before she left to take him home Jack told her to give him the medicine we use to make people forget what they saw. She agreed to do it at first and left with her husband, only to come back a few minutes later,” he added, remembering the scene vividly in his mind.

_Gwen stormed through the cogwheel door shouting, “_ _I'm not doing it. I won't drug him.”_

_“_ _You have to,” Tosh said._

_“We can't allow him to remember,” Owen added._

_“It’s the rules,” Ianto confirmed._

_Gwen replied, “But none of you have any partners outside of this.”_  
  
“But we understand how you feel,” Jack said trying to calm her down.  
  
“No, you don't. No, you don't, Jack,” Gwen said vehemently. “You all think it's cold and lonely out  
there, but it isn't for me, because I have him. He matters, and I've lied to him for long  
enough. What he did today was so brave. Braver than any of us, because we signed up for  
this, but he didn't – he did it because he loves me! And I won't take that away from him!  
I won't! And if that means I have to quit, or you retcon me or whatever, then, fine, fine.  
  


_Jack walked towards Gwen until they were toe to toe. “You really think you could go back to your old life before Torchwood?” he asked staring down at her face._  
  
“I wouldn't know anything different,” she replied.  
  
“I would,” Jack replied hoarsely. They stared at each other; the silence in the Hub was stifling. Finally Jack came to a decision and said, “Give Rhys my love and I will see you tomorrow.” Gwen nodded once and left. 

_Owen and Tosh were surprised at Jack’s decision, but Ianto felt he had been kicked in the stomach. Ianto watched Jack stride to his office, sit down and turn on the CCTV monitor by his desk. Jack watched the monitor in silence as Gwen appeared on screen next to her husband and they headed home together.  
  
_

_Ianto looked at Owen and Tosh; Owen shrugged and turned back to his computer to finish the surgical report on Rhys while Tosh hid her confusion and embarrassment by looking back at the computer programs she had been running. A slow burning anger was building up in Ianto and he walked into Jack’s office._

_“Mind telling me what that was all about?” Ianto asked with restraint._

_Clearing his throat Jack said, “We can’t afford to lose her,” and turned his focus to the paperwork on his desk trying to focus._

_“We can’t or you can’t, Jack?” Ianto inquired raising his eyebrow._

_Jack paused, holding a piece of paper in his hand and looked at Ianto. Their eyes locked for a second before Jack broke contact and muttered, “Both.”_

_“Right, well I guess I know where I stand then,” Ianto replied._

_“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jack snapped._

_“It means I’m your second choice because you can’t have Gwen,” Ianto retorted._

_Jack stood up abruptly and protested, “That’s not true!”_

_“Isn’t it?” Ianto countered leaning his hands on Jack’s desk raising his own voice. “When you got back from your little trip with the Doctor you didn’t ask me out on a date until after you found out Gwen was engaged to Rhys!”_

_Jack was devastated. “If you truly believed that Ianto, then why did you even bother asking me to be your life mate?” Jack asked sadly._

_“I don’t know, Jack!” Ianto replied throwing his hands up. “I just don’t know anymore.” He stomped out of Jack’s office but not fast enough._

_He still heard Jack’s quiet reply, “More the fool me for accepting then.”_

“Oh Ianto,” Harold said sadly shaking his head after Ianto told him about the row.

“Yeah, things have really gone tits up,” Ianto agreed running a hand over his tired face. The anger was gone leaving only exhaustion and regret.

Harold patted Ianto on the back. “It’s not as bleak as you think. Between the traumatic event with the alien, the woman’s outburst and your argument with Jack, it’s no wonder you blew a gasket. Tell me truthfully do you still love him?”

“Yes,” Ianto admitted.

“Good. So what must be resolved to make the situation better?” Harold prompted.

Ianto looked puzzled; “Don’t you mean what I must do to resolve the situation?”

“No Ianto, this problem was caused by the actions of three people; the woman, Jack and you. You all must be part of the solution. What would you want from the woman?” Harold asked.

“What I want to do is slap the stupid cow,” Ianto said without thinking.

Harold crossed his arms across his chest and raised an eyebrow at Ianto. “You’re better than that, Ianto,” he chided.

Sighing Ianto said, “Sorry. I guess I’d want her to apologize to everyone for her thoughtless comments; she made it sound like our lives weren’t as important as her and her husband’s lives,” Ianto replied.

“And what you want from Jack?” Harold inquired.

“I want him to explain why he reacted the way he did to the idea of reconning the woman and her leaving Torchwood,” Ianto replied. “And I want to know that I’m not his second choice,” he added quietly.

“I’m surprised he hasn’t been calling you every five minutes since you stormed out,” Harold commented.

“Shit!” Ianto exclaimed pulling his mobile out. “I turned off my mobile when I left the Hub.” He turned it on and found he had several texts from Jack and a voice mail. “Jack’s been texting me and left me a voice mail.”

“Sounds like a man in love who’s worried about his mate,” Harold commented.

“Yeah he does,” Ianto agreed looking through the text messages all of which basically said the same thing.

_“I love you and I’m sorry. – Jack”_

Ianto accessed his voice mail to hear the message Jack recorded.

“ _Ianto, it’s Jack. I’ve been trying to reach you all night and I’m worried about you. I guess you don’t want to talk to me tonight, so I’ll stop bothering you. I’m staying at the Hub tonight to figure some things out, so please go home to the flat and get some rest. I’ve sent text messages to the rest of the team to come to a 10 a.m. meeting in the board room and I hope you’ll come to the meeting too._

_I love you. Bye._ ”

Ending the call Ianto said, “Jack said he’s sorry and that he loves me. He sounded so sad.”

“Sad just like you,” Harold said. Ianto looked exhausted. “Do you need a place to crash tonight?” he asked.

“No, Jack’s at work so I can go home to the flat,” Ianto replied. “Thanks Harold for listening to me vent. You’ve been a big help.”

Harold smiled; “That’s what elders and friends do, Ianto. Now go home and get some sleep. You’ve got a relationship to work on tomorrow.

“Thanks again and good night,” Ianto said shaking hands with Harold and heading home to his flat. Once he got inside his flat he locked the door and got ready for bed. Even though he was exhausted he took a moment to text Jack.

_“I’m home and going to bed. Love you too. – Ianto”_

Ianto sent the text message and then went to sleep.

**tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw**

They all met at the Hub at 10:00 a.m. Ianto walked in with Tosh, Owen and Gwen; he hadn’t seen Jack since their argument yesterday afternoon. They all headed to the conference room and found Jack sitting in his usual chair writing a note in a folder. His face was pale and there were shadows under his eyes. Everyone settled into their usual chairs.

Jack stood up and faced his team. “I spent last night here going over the space whale case including the recon incident here at the Hub afterwards. Before I tell you some my decisions I need to tell you, Tosh, Owen and Gwen, about the Year That Never Was. I already told Ianto this information because, as my life mate, he deserved to hear about it first. I’m only going to say this once so no interruptions and no questions during or after – agreed?” All three nodded their heads in agreement and Jack proceeded to tell them about the Master, the Toclafane, being captured, tortured and killed for a year and how all three of them were killed in the Himalayas and Ianto was murdered in front of Jack eyes aboard the Valiant. He then explained how the Doctor, Martha and he were able to stop the Master and reset the timeline. By the time he finished his explanation all of them were fighting back tears.

“That’s why I agreed that Gwen didn’t need to recon Rhys. I had already lost all of you once and didn’t want to start losing you now. Now and in the future I will decide on a case by case basis whether your current or future partners or family members may be allowed to know you work for Torchwood. I hope this decision will make your jobs here at Torchwood more bearable.

Having said that,” Jack added turning his attention to Gwen, “Gwen, you owe everyone in this room an apology. You insulted all of us by what you said about our lives yesterday. Tosh and Owen don’t currently have partners, but they have suffered personal losses and tragedies which make what happened to Rhys yesterday pale in comparison. And you insulted Ianto and me by totally glossing over the fact we’re life mates.” Jack placed his hands on the conference table and leaned in Gwen’s direction. “I had to stand by and watch helplessly yesterday as Ianto fought for his life; if the gun hadn’t jammed he’d be dead. But did I get to comfort him? No, I had to send him after those bastards because the space whale was thrashing about and I couldn’t get to him. Our relationship is every bit important as yours.”

“Jack, I —” Gwen began.

Jack held up his hand. “I’m not done yet Gwen.” She had sense enough to close her mouth. He continued, “If Rhys lets our secret slip, even accidentally, we will have to recon him and, if you insist, you as well. So I’m counting on you to make him understand how serious this matter is. You do not discuss new cases with him unless I deem it necessary. In addition because your actions in the warehouse endangered us, _especially_ Rhys and Ianto, you’ll be on Rift watch at night for a month, plus you’ll clean out the cells as well.”

“But Jack,”

“Is there something you don’t understand, Gwen?” Jack asked his voice cold and distant.

Gwen started twice to say something before she decided it wouldn’t be a good idea. “No, Jack I understand,” she agreed.

“Good. I suggest you go home and get some sleep before your shift starts.” They all watched as Gwen left. Once the cogwheel door closed behind her Jack sat down in his chair. “I’m sorry I handled things so poorly yesterday,” he said to Ianto, Tosh and Owen. “Hopefully my actions today have fixed things,” he added with a sigh.

“I think your actions have more than made up for it, Jack,” Tosh said. “Now if you’ll all excuse me, I have some computer programs running which I need to check on.” She left the room and went to her work station.

“Owen, I’m sorry you had to euthanize the space whale yesterday; if you hadn’t some of us would have died,” Jack said quietly.

“I really hated doing it, but I know it was the right thing to do,” Owen replied. “I appreciate you sharing what happened to you while you were gone with the Doctor. It explains why you’ve changed and some of the decisions you’ve made. Thanks for standing up for us and setting Gwen straight.” Standing up from his chair Owen added, “I’ve got to go finish the reports on the space whale. I could definitely use a cup of coffee when you have a moment, Ianto.” He saw Ianto nod before he headed over to join Tosh in their work area.

Silence enveloped the conference room briefly before Jack said, “I failed you yesterday, Ianto; as a leader and as a life mate. I hope you can forgive me.” Reaching out he grasped Ianto’s hand afraid he would pull away. Ianto didn’t.

“You fixed most of your mistakes in the meeting just now,” Ianto replied.

“Why do I feel there’s a ‘but’ in there somewhere,” Jack murmured. “I want to make things right between us Ianto – talk to me please.”

Ianto gazed into Jack’s eyes for several minutes before he was able to ask, “Was I your second choice?” He was surprised by Jack’s reaction; tears rolled down Jack’s face.

“Oh, Ianto, I’m a poor excuse for a life mate if you have to ask that question,” Jack began. “There was never a choice between you or Gwen. You’re the only one who takes my breath away when you enter the room. The thought of resetting the timeline and getting you back, my love, was the only thing which kept me going through that horrible year. There’s no choice involved, it’s you and only you.”

Ianto felt the pain in his heart melt away. Jack had let his barriers down and laid his heart at Ianto’s feet. Ianto leaned forward and cupped Jack’s face with his hands using his thumbs to wipe Jack’s tears away. “I believe you Jack, I do,” Ianto said kissing Jack. Catching his breath he added, “And I’m sorry for what I said to you yesterday. I’ve wanted you to be my life mate and you made me so happy when you said ‘yes.’ We’re going to be alright.” He stood up and pulled Jack up by the hand and led him to Jack’s office and down the manhole to Jack’s sleeping quarters.

“Looks like they’ve made up,” Tosh said looking away from the CCTV monitor where they had watched Jack and Ianto’s progress from the boardroom to Jack’s office.

“About bloody time too,” Owen agreed. “Means I won’t be getting coffee from Ianto anytime soon though,” he complained.

“How about a trip to Starbucks – my treat,” Tosh offered.

Owen offered one of his rare smiles. “Love to Tosh,” he replied.  
  
**tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw**

**** A note from socalrose: So what did you think of Harold; did you like him? Was his advice sound? Would you like to see Ianto interact with his fellow lycans more?

What about Ianto and Jack's argument; did Jack resolve a lot of it when he held the meeting? Please let me know what you think; comments, suggestions and questions are always welcomed.

 


	11. Long Time Since I've Been Sick

Ianto takes care of a sick Jack and Jack has a strange, fowl dream . . . .

This chapter  ** rated PG-13. **

** **

 

**tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw**

  


**** Long Time Since I've Been Sick   
  
They had gone to Jack’s bunker after the meeting and Ianto insisted Jack needed to rest because he looked exhausted. Both stripped down to their boxers and climbed into the camp bed Ianto spooning behind Jack. Wrapping his arms around Jack’s waist Ianto whispered, “Sleep Jack, I’ve got you.”  Jack was asleep in a few minutes. Ianto wasn’t sure when he fell asleep but he woke up later to the sound of Jack retching into the toilet in the small en suite bathroom. He crouched down next to Jack and put his arm across Jack’s shoulders to comfort him. Finally after several minutes Jack had nothing left to throw up. “Come on Jack, let’s get off this cold floor,” Ianto said as he helped his mate stand up. Jack brushed his teeth to get the sour taste out of his mouth and then Ianto helped Jack get back into bed and covered him with the duvet. Carding his fingers through Jack’s hair Ianto murmured, “I’m going to get Owen and have him come down here to look you over; I’ll be right back.” Ianto quickly dressed and climbed up the ladder to Jack’s office. He stuck his head out of the office door and spotted Owen at his work station. “Owen, can you take a look at Jack?” Ianto asked. 

Owen looked up from the report he was reading and asked, “What’s wrong with him?”

 “He threw up, he’s extremely pale, but he doesn’t appear to have a fever,” Ianto replied.

“Jack normally doesn’t get sick; let me grab my kit and I’ll be over in a moment,” Owen said tossing the report on his desk and heading down to the Medical bay where he kept his kit; a moment later Owen came down the ladder into Jack’s bunker to find Ianto giving Jack a sip of water. “Alright Jack, what’s going on with you?” he asked as he grasp Jack’s wrist to take his pulse. “Your pulse is a little fast; how many times have you thrown up?”

“Twice today and three times yesterday,” Jack admitted. He sighed and closed his eyes briefly before opening them again. “I . . . I thought it was because I was . . . upset.”

“Jack, could you be pregnant?” Ianto asked. 

Jack paused a moment; “I hadn’t thought about it, but I don’t think so,” he replied. 

Owen reached into his kit and pulled out a syringe. “I’ll take a blood sample just to be sure.” As he drew the blood he added, “You may have the flu or appendicitis; any sharp pains in the lower right abdomen?”

“No,” Jack answered.

Owen finished drawing the blood sample and stowed it in his kit. “Ever had the flu since you arrived on Earth?”

“Only once,” Jack confirmed after thinking a moment.

“When was that?” Ianto queried.

“Back in 1918.”

For a moment nobody said anything. Finally Owen found his voice, “Bloody hell Jack, you had the Spanish flu in 1918?!”

“Did you survive?” Ianto asked quietly anticipating Jack’s answer.

“No; I woke up in the morgue surrounded by corpses and managed to sneak out before the burial detail came for the bodies.” Jack saw the love and concern in his lover’s eyes. “It’s alright Ianto; it happened a long time ago,” Jack said grasping Ianto’s hand.

“Well I can say with certainly you don’t have the Spanish flu Jack,” Owen commented. “I should have the test results quickly, so just rest and I’ll be back shortly.” He grabbed his medical kit and climbed up the ladder leaving Ianto to look after Jack.

Like Owen thought, it didn’t take long to get the blood test results. He was reading them when Ianto arrived in the medical bay with a cup of coffee for Owen.

“About bloody time,” Owen complained but his tone of voice took the bite out of his words; he was grateful for the caffeine boost.

“Did you get the test results?” Ianto asked obviously worried about Jack. 

“Yeah,” Owen replied taking another couple of sips as he finished reading the test results.

Ianto couldn’t stand the wait; “Is he . . .” he began.

“Sorry Ianto, Jack isn’t pregnant;” Owen answered, noting the shadow of disappointment which briefly ran across Ianto’s face.

“Oh . . . right; I know these things take time,” Ianto managed to reply. 

Owen studied Ianto; “You do remember what Jack said about male pregnancies, don’t you?” Owen asked.

“Yes,” Ianto said. “Jack said it’s harder for males to conceive and there’s a higher occurrence of miscarriages.”

“Just keep it in mind Ianto and don’t set yourself or Jack up for disappointment if it doesn’t happen soon,” Owen chided. 

Ianto nodded before a wicked thought popped into his head and he said, “At least it’s fun practicing; different positions, different locations, assorted lubes, various techniques,”

“Oi, too much information Tea Boy! If I hear anymore _I’ll_ puke on your shoes,” Owen countered. Looking at the results one more time he continued, “Right, Jack’s white cell count isn’t elevated, so he most likely just has the flu. Do us all a favor and take him home so the rest of us don’t catch it. No snogging or shagging until he’s recovered – doctor’s orders.”

“I’ll tell him, but he so wanted to show me this one technique he learned from two acrobats,” Ianto began.

“Oi piss off!” Owen shouted throwing the report at Ianto who smiled and dodged the flying report with ease before heading back to Jack’s bunker. 

**tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw**

“You’re disappointed,” Jack commented waiting for Ianto to unlock the flat door.

“Disappointed in what Jack?” Ianto asked as he opened the door and walked into the flat.

“That I’m not pregnant only sick with the flu,” Jack replied closing the door, toeing off his boots and handing his great coat to Ianto. 

Ianto didn’t reply right away but hung up both their coats to give him time to think about his reply. They’d just gotten over one argument which had taken a heavy toll on him and Jack even more so; he didn’t want to accidentally start another argument with careless words.

Wrapping his arms around Jack’s waist, he answered honestly, “I admit I got a little excited thinking you might be pregnant because the thought of our love culminating in a new life thrills me. But you’re not pregnant this time and that’s okay; I can wait. Right now though you’re ill with the flu and I want to take care of you. Now let’s get you to bed so you can rest.” 

“Okay; maybe when I feel better we can practice some more?” Jack suggested as they headed to the bedroom.

“Love to,” Ianto agreed with a smile.

Jack slept through most of the afternoon and only vomited one more time. Towards evening he managed to eat some toast and drink some tea with Ianto clucking over him like a mother hen. When Ianto finally climbed into bed that night a sleepy Jack turned over, moved into Ianto’s arms with a contented sigh and went back to sleep.

**tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw**

“Aren’t you going to join me Jack?” Ianto asked before walking over to the water naked. They were alone having a picnic by a small lake when Ianto had announced he was going swimming. He stripped his clothes off and dove into water. “Come on Jack, the water’s fine.”

“No, the water’s too cold,” Jack replied content to stay on the blanket with the remnants of their picnic.

Ianto quirked an eyebrow; “Is big Captain Jack afraid of a little cold water?” he teased with a smirk.

Rising to the bait, Jack stood up, took off his clothes and jumped into the lake – promptly shrieking like a little girl from the shock of the cold water. “You bastard; the water's freezing!” Jack complained.

“I have ways of keeping you warm Jack,” Ianto cooed, morphing into his lycan form and wrapping his arms around Jack. Immediately Jack felt warm and aroused as Ianto caressed him; then a duck swam over and started nibbling on Jack’s forearm.

The duck began to talk, “Uncle Jack, Uncle Jack, are you awake?” Someone was now poking his forearm repeatedly and the erotic dream faded away. 

Jack opened his bleary eyes and saw his niece, Mica, staring at him. “Mica, what are you doing here?” he asked, his eyes taking in his surroundings. He realized he was in bed at the flat he shared with Ianto and for some strange reason Mica was there and Ianto wasn’t.

“Mica, Ianto told you to let your Uncle Jack sleep in,” Rhiannon called from the bedroom doorway.

“I wanted to see if he was feeling better,” Mica explained with a perfected look of innocence.

Walking into the bedroom Rhiannon replied, “Nice try missy, but I’m not buying it, so go out to the sitting room and watch the telly with your brother.” Rhiannon and Jack watched reluctant, pouty Mica slowly leave the bedroom.

“Sorry about that, Jack; Ianto did tell them to let you sleep, but she snuck in here when I wasn’t looking,” Rhiannon explained. “Do you want to sleep some more?”

“No, I’m awake now and I do feel much better today,” Jack answered. “Why are you and the kids here and where’s Ianto?”

“We stopped by this morning to return a DVD to Ianto and got to talking. Ianto got a call from work and had to go in, but he didn’t want to leave you here alone since you were sick. I told him the kids and I could hang around until he got back,” Rhiannon explained. “Even then he hesitated until I reminded him I’m raising two kids just fine, thank you very much, and I can certainly keep an eye on you until he gets back,” Rhiannon explained.

 “I appreciate it, Rhiannon,” Jack said sitting up in bed and leaning against the headboard. “Did Ianto tell you we had a big argument the other day at work?” he asked.

Nodding Rhiannon said, “He did, but he said you two worked things out. You can’t be a couple without a few rows along the way. I know Johnny and me have had our fair share of rows, but that’s life. Now why don’t you get up and get dressed while I put the kettle on and make you some eggs and toast, alright?” She saw Jack nod in agreement and went to prepare breakfast.

Jack showered, dressed and chatted with Rhiannon while he ate breakfast. 

“You’re up,” Ianto said entering the kitchen. “Do you feel better?” he asked kissing Jack’s forehead.

“I feel fine now that I’ve had a good night’s sleep and a good breakfast thanks to Rhiannon,” Jack replied. 

“Great, so you feel up to going into work?”

“You know me Ianto; I always _rise_ to the occasion,” Jack replied with a straight face.

Jack had never seen synchronized eye rolling until he saw Rhiannon and Ianto both roll their eyes at his comment.

“Is he always like this?” she asked.

“No, he’s usually worse, but at least he’s feeling better,” Ianto replied.

“Well, it looks like my work here is done,” Rhiannon quipped picking up her purse. “David, Mica, come in and say goodbye to your uncles, we’ve got to get going,” she said. Five minutes later after goodbye hugs Rhiannon and the kids were on their way home.

“You didn’t have to ask Rhiannon to watch over me while you were gone; I would have been fine by myself,” Jack commented as Ianto helped him into his great coat.

Ianto smoothed down Jack’s coat lapels and left his hands resting against Jack’s chest. “You daft sod, I didn’t ask her to stay for your comfort; I asked her to stay for my peace of mind,” Ianto replied with a smile. He kissed Jack briefly before tapping Jack’s chest. “Come on Jack, work to do.” Ianto opened the front door leading the way.

“Remind me to tell you about the dream I was having before Mica woke me up,” Jack said closing the locked door behind him. It was a nice day so they decided to walk to work.

“Was it a nice dream?” Ianto asked as they strode down the street.

“Definitely,” Jack answered. “It involved you, me, a lake, and a duck.”

Ianto stopped in his tracks and stared at Jack. “A duck? Why was there a duck with us?” he asked.

Jack grinned and glanced at his watch. “No time for explanations now Ianto, there’s work to be done.” He started walking again.

Ianto trotted after him. “Come on Jack, tell me about the duck!”

**tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw  
  
**

**Note from socalrose:** Sorry it took so long to post; real life sort of frightened the plot bunnies away, but I finally managed to find some of the little darlings.

Please tell me if this chapter worked for you or not. Your comments, questions, and suggestions are always welcomed!  
 


	12. Apologies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gwen arrives at the Hub two hours before her night shift so she can apologize to her teammates and she encounters some . . . difficulties.  
>    
> 

**This Chapter rated Mature.**  
  
**tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw**  
  


**Apologies**  
  
Tosh and Owen were enjoying their last cup of coffee for the day when blaring sirens and flashing lights announced Gwen’s arrival through the cogwheel door. She was not her usual exuberant self and quietly put the tote bags she was carrying down on her desk. 

“You’re in early, Gwen; your night shift doesn’t start for a couple of hours,” Tosh commented taking another sip of her latte.

Gwen shrugged; “I know, but I thought I’d get here a little early so I could, um, talk to you two,” she said. She was fidgeting like a nervous, naughty schoolgirl who’s been sent to the head teacher’s office.

Tosh cast a knowing glance at Owen; it was time to listen to Gwen’s apology for her behavior the other day. “Well, we’re here Gwen – what did you want to talk about?” Tosh asked coolly.

“Actually I wanted to apologize to both of you about my outburst the other day,” Gwen began.

Owen put down his coffee mug and crossed his arms; “Which outburst are you talking about Gwen? There have been quite a few recently,” he said.

Gwen cringed a little bit at Owen’s sarcastic remark. “You’re not going to make this easy for me are you?” she asked.

Owen and Tosh together said, “No.”

“Right,” Gwen muttered; “When I had my, outburst and refused to retcon Rhys I said some things which were –”

“Heartless?” Owen said.

“Cruel?” Tosh added.

Gwen nodded her agreement saying, “Heartless and cruel and I was wrong to say them, but I was so upset about Rhys,”

“We don’t want to hear your excuses Gwen,” Tosh interrupted.

“Just want to hear your apology,” Owen chimed in.

Frustrated her apology was going all wrong Gwen had to stop and take a deep breath trying to calm herself down. Finally she began again, “Alright! I was wrong to say those things about you two and about Ianto and Jack. I was a thoughtless, stupid cow and I am so sorry.” Tears started rolling down her face and she angrily wiped them away with the back of her hand. “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone, but obviously I did and I am really and truly sorry. I’ve lost your respect and trust and I know I have to earn it back. Hopefully we can at least work together and maybe even be friends again.” She stood there waiting to see how they would respond.

They were silent for a few moments before Owen asked Tosh, “What do you think?”

“I think she’s truly sorry,” Tosh replied.

“I think she is too,” he agreed. “Apology accepted, Gwen Cooper.”

“Really?” asked Gwen.

“Really,” Tosh replied.

Gwen smiled. “Thank you – oh bugger, I forgot,” she exclaimed. Turning back to her desk she grabbed two small totes. “Here these are for you,” she said handing the gift totes to them. As they looked into the totes she explained, “They’re gift cards for restaurants I know you like.”

“Yeah, well, I suppose this could be useful,” Owen managed to say. It was as close to a ‘thank you’ as she was going to get from him.

“Thanks Gwen,” Tosh said.

“I guess I better repair the damage to my makeup before I face Ianto and Jack,” Gwen said.

“Good idea,” Owen agreed. “Listen,” he said stopping Gwen in her tracks. “Have Rhys come in tomorrow so I can see how well he’s healing up, alright?”

“Will do,” Gwen said with a smile. “Thanks Owen.”

“Just doing my job,” Owen replied and then he headed off towards the medical bay.

Gwen went to the communal shower room and repaired her makeup. She returned to the main level to find Tosh and Owen logging off their computers for the day and grabbing their coats. 

“My predictor program indicates no major rift activity for the next 12 hours Gwen so you should have a fairly quiet night shift,” Tosh said slipping on her coat.

“Thanks for telling me, Tosh,” Gwen replied. “Guess I have plenty of time to feed the resident guests and catch up on reports; but first I should find Jack and Ianto and apologize to them. Do either of you know where they are?”

Owen was zipping up his leather jacket and replied, “I think they’re in the conference room going over some reports Gwen.”

“Great, thanks Owen; well, you two have a nice evening,” Gwen said as she headed off towards the conference room.

“Owen, why didn’t you tell her _what_ Jack and Ianto are doing?” Tosh admonished.

Shrugging Owen said, “She didn’t ask what they’re doing, only _where_ they were. Besides, I noticed you didn’t tell her either,” he added with a smirk.

“No I didn’t,” Tosh admitted blushing a little bit. She grabbed Owen by the hand and started dragging him towards the cogwheel door. “Let’s get out of here before she reaches the conference room.”

Smiling Owen said, “You have a lovely evil streak in you, Miss Sato.” They started running, their laughter disappearing as the cogwheel door closed behind them. 

Gwen hesitated as she reached for the conference room door knob. She was more nervous about apologizing to Jack and Ianto, because she knew her actions had led to Ianto and Jack having a huge row. Tosh had told her they had settled their differences but still she had been sad her actions had hurt them both. Taking a deep cleansing breath Gwen opened the heavy, soundproofed door – her jaw dropped to the floor, her eyes practically popped out of her head and she was rendered speechless.

Halfway down the long conference table surrounded by scattered paperwork lay Jack’s naked body. His knees were folded to his sweaty chest and his eyes were focused on Ianto. Ianto, who was holding on to Jack’s hips, looked glorious in his lycan form, his powerful muscles rippling as he rapidly thrust into Jack’s body, their panting breaths mingling together. Jack shouted Ianto’s name as his cum spilled between their bodies. Ianto climaxed a moment later filling Jack with his seed howling at the top of his lungs. 

“I love you,” Jack panted, still recovering his breath. Ianto gently pulled out of Jack and unfolded Jack’s legs. Not quite ready to let Ianto go Jack wrapped his legs loosely around Ianto’s waist and stroked Ianto’s chest.

“Love you too,” Ianto growled bending over and licking Jack’s neck.

A noise near the door drew Jack and Ianto’s attention. “Gwen?” Jack asked surprised to see her there because she wasn’t supposed to be on duty for another hour. He was even more surprised when he heard a low growl above him. Ianto’s lycan ears were flat against his skull and his teeth were bared; he pulled Jack into a protective hug. Jack placed his hands against Ianto’s face. “Hey,” he said gently, “Ianto, it’s okay. Gwen walking in on us was an accident – wasn’t it Gwen?”

Gwen finally found her voice. “Yes,” she said hoarsely. She blushed with extreme embarrassment and started to babble, “Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to . . . I mean I wouldn’t have come in if I, oh bloody hell . . .” 

“Gwen, why don’t you go back to your work station now,” Jack suggested although his eyes never broke contact with Ianto’s.

“Right, good idea,” Gwen said and she quickly fled the room.

Ianto’s growl became a whine as he laid his head on Jack’s chest and his tail drooped. He morphed back into human form. “That was so embarrassing,” he muttered blushing from head to toe.

Kissing the top of Ianto’s head Jack replied, “I think Gwen was even more embarrassed than you were; she was so red in the face she reminded me of a blowfish.” They both chuckled at the thought. “As much as I love the feel of you on top of me, we better get dressed and go talk to Gwen,” Jack added.

Ianto nodded reluctantly. “Hang on a second,” Ianto said getting up and grabbing a packet of wipes from his jacket. He quickly cleaned the remnants of their “practice session” off his body before gently cleaning up Jack and kissing Jack’s stomach. “For luck,” he explained when Jack looked at him puzzled. 

“I told you it all comes down to practice,” Jack replied with a grin. He got off the conference table, but the moment he stood on his feet his knees started to buckle.

“Whoa, I’ve got you,” Ianto said grabbing Jack around his waist. “You all right Jack?”

“I’m fine; I just get a little weak in the knees when you make love to me,” Jack whispered before he planted a light kiss on Ianto’s lips.

Gwen was studiously reading through one of her reports when she heard Jack and Ianto walking over to her work station. She kept her eyes glued to the report blushing once again and dreading her talk with Jack and Ianto.

“You okay Gwen?” Finally she looked up at Jack and Ianto. Although both men were fully dressed she could still see them in her mind’s eye having sex in the conference room. No, it was more than that; they were making love. Two bodies, two souls entwined. 

She managed a small smile; “I’m fine, just really, really embarrassed. I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“Let me guess, you asked where Ianto and I were and Owen told you where, but not _what_ we were doing?” Jack asked.

Nodding Gwen said, “Yeah he did, the bastard; I should smack him on the back of his head the next time I see him, but I don’t think it will do any good.”

“Perhaps not, but I believe putting him on decaf for the next few days should get his attention,” Ianto said an evil glint in his eyes. “Which reminds me, I was going make a fresh pot of coffee for you before we leave for the day; I’ll go make it now and bring each of us a cup back. Why don’t you and Jack head over to the couch while I make it,” Ianto suggested before heading over to the coffeemaker.

Jack and Gwen went over and sat down on the couch. Gwen noticed Jack yawning. “You look tired Jack, is everything alright?”

Smiling he replied, “After making love I usually have a cuddling session with Ianto and then a nap,” he admitted.

“Great, so not only did I interrupt your lovemaking I’ve also ruined your cuddling session and nap; I can’t do anything right today,” Gwen muttered.

“Don’t worry about it Gwen,” Ianto said as he arrived with three mugs of coffee and handed the mugs to Gwen and Jack. “Jack will get all the cuddling and napping he wants when I take him home,” he said sitting down next to Jack and putting his arm across Jack’s shoulders.

“What did you want to discuss Gwen?” Jack asked before sipping his coffee. He knew she wanted to get this apology over with as quickly as possible and so did they.

Gwen put down her coffee mug and stood up. Looking at Jack and then Ianto she said, “I’ve thought really hard about what happened a few days ago and what I did and said and I was wrong on so many levels. I panicked at the warehouse when they captured Rhys and I didn’t listen to you, Jack, just acted without thinking. You managed to control your feelings Jack, even when you thought Ianto was going to get killed. Thank god the gun jammed when it did! Then you had to send Ianto after those bastards because we were still trapped – I don’t think I could ever do that.

Ianto, you were so brave and did what needed to be done; we’d all probably be dead if it weren’t for your and Owen’s actions. I made the situation so much worse and I’m truly sorry for my thoughtless actions.

After Owen patched Rhys up and you told me to use retcon on Rhys, I should have just talked to you, Jack and argued my case for why I didn’t want to retcon Rhys. But instead I was a bloody drama queen, shouting and talking like it was all about me and Rhys. I said terrible, hurtful things and totally ignored everyone else’s feelings. It was stupid and callous of me and I can’t excuse what I did, especially the wedge I created between you two. After the board meeting you had with all of us, Tosh and Owen told me about the terrible row you two had and it’s my fault. All I can say is I’m really sorry for all the hurt I caused you both. It’s obvious to me now you two have a loving, close relationship and I do respect it.” 

Going back to her work station, Gwen picked up the last tote bag she had brought in and handed it to Ianto. “This is something for the two of you,” she began as Jack and Ianto looked into the bag. “There’s a gift card for that little Italian restaurant you two seem to like, plus some other little items I thought you’d like based on some things I’ve heard you two say here and there. I hope you like them,” she added.

Jack was like a kid at Christmas, “Ooo, look Ianto, there are lavender candles, massage oil, strawberries, squirty cream, chocolate syrup, and lube!” As Jack mentioned each item, Ianto blushed a deeper and deeper shade of red. Gwen was blushing too.

“Um Gwen,” Ianto managed to say after he found his voice again. “This is all lovely, but how did you know what kind of lube we, um, prefer?” 

“Well,” Gwen began, “one morning I found this particular brand on my work station table and since Owen left before I did the night before, I kind of guessed that you or Jack may have accidentally left it there,” she admitted.

Ianto turned and looked at Jack. “Oops, my bad, sorry Gwen” Jack managed to say. 

“It’s alright Jack,” Gwen replied. “So, what do you think?” she asked hopefully.

Ianto and Jack looked at each other and Jack nodded to Ianto. “Apology accepted Gwen and thanks for the gifts,” Ianto said for both of them.

“You’re welcome,” Gwen said. Jack yawned again. “I guess you better get him home for some cuddling and a nap,” she added.

“Yeah, I guess I’d better,” Ianto agreed. Getting up from the sofa he helped Jack up. “Come on Jack, let’s go home.”  


  
“It was beautiful you know,” Gwen said wistfully.

“What was?” Jack asked as Ianto helped him into his great coat.

“Watching you two making love, it was beautiful,” she answered quietly.

“Glad you liked it, Gwen,” Jack replied with a grin. “But it was hot too, wasn’t it?” 

Gwen laughed and Ianto rolled his eyes. “Yes Jack, it was hot; it couldn’t be anything else with you two gorgeous men involved,” Gwen agreed.

“I believe that’s our cue to leave,” Ianto said picking up the tote bag. “Goodnight Gwen.”

“Night Gwen,” Jack echoed as he followed Ianto out the cogwheel door. 

“Night Jack and Ianto,” Gwen replied as she watched them exit through the cogwheel door. She sighed as she felt a heavy weight lift from her shoulders and went about her evening tasks smiling for a change.  
  


**tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw**

Note from socalrose: What did you think of Gwen's apologies? What about the gifts she gave to her teammates? All questions, comments and suggestions are always welcome!


	13. Unexpected Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Ianto take Rhiannon and the children out for ice cream when things go terribly wrong.
> 
>  
> 
> **This Chapter rated PG-13.**

“So Mica, David, what do you say for the ice cream sundaes your uncles bought you?” Rhiannon asked as they left the shop. Jack and Ianto had treated the kids and Rhiannon to Cadwaladers Sundaes at the St David’s Dewi Sant to end their day together.

“Thank you Uncle Ianto and Uncle Jack,” the children said jumping up and down already feeling the sugar rush running through their systems.

“You’re welcome, although I don’t think your mum’s going to thank me for it later,” Ianto replied looking at Rhiannon apologetically.

“Not to worry,” Rhiannon said. “I’ll just hand them over to Johnny; he’s had a lazy day watching the telly. We’re parked over a couple of rows so we’ll say goodbye here. There were hugs all around before Rhiannon and children walked off in search of their car.

Ianto was unlocking his car when Jack’s mobile began ringing. “Hi Tosh, what’s up?” Jack asked answering his mobile. Ianto watched Jack frown and then go pale. “Are you positive about the location? Yeah we’re already here,” Jack answered before reaching into the glove compartment and pulling out his Webley and holstering it. “What’s your ETA? Five minutes; alright, we’ll start searching. Right, bye.” Jack ended the call and then handed a glock automatic and some Weevil spray to Ianto. 

“What’s going on Jack?” 

“Reports of Weevils here in the parking structure,” Jack replied looking grim. 

“Rhiannon and the children,” Ianto said concerned as they got back out of the car.

“We find them first,” Jack declared as they checked their guns, “and get them safely out of here; then we deal with the Weevils.” They trotted off in the direction Rhiannon and the kids had taken; hearing screams made them run. Rounding a corner they saw two Weevils cornering the children and Rhiannon against a wall between two parked cars. 

Rhiannon had the children behind her and in desperation had morphed into her lycan form momentarily shocking the Weevils to a standstill.

“They’re too close; I can’t get a clear shot,” Ianto said.

“We’ve got to get in, push the Weevils away and try using the spray on them,” replied Jack.

“You tackle the smaller of the two and I’ll take the bigger one,” Ianto said.

“No, the Weevil’s too big, you’ll get hurt,” Jack replied clearly afraid for his mate.

“I’ll even the odds,” Ianto countered. “Rhiannon, stay where you are,” he said morphing into his lycan form stretching the casual jumper and partially ripping his jeans. He roared at the Weevils who turned towards Ianto and Jack because they were a threat. Ianto tackled the larger Weevil while Jack tackled the other. 

“Hurry Owen,’ Gwen said trying to make the SUV go faster using just will power while sitting in the front passenger seat.

“Side seat driver,” muttered Owen even as he pressed down on the accelerator. They were both concerned since hearing Weevils were reported in the parking structure where Jack and Ianto were; even on a week day there would be kids and parents around.

“Ianto said the Weevils have cornered his sister and her children on Level 3,” Tosh announced over the comms. “Jack and Ianto are protecting them as best they can.”

“We’re almost there Tosh,” Gwen replied.

Owen turned the last corner and screeched the SUV to a halt. They’d arrived just in time to see Lycan Ianto snap a Weevil’s neck and Jack lying on the ground, his hands clutching his chest as blood leaked through his fingers.

“Shit,” Owen said exiting the SUV carrying his medical kit over to Jack.

“Ianto,” Owen said while he kneeled down next to Jack, “are you alright; Hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine, take care of Jack,” Ianto replied gasping for air, adrenaline still coursing through his body after fighting the Weevils. They’d fought two Weevils only to have a third one surprise them by climbing over one of the cars trying to get to Rhiannon and the children. Jack had taken a running jump tackling the Weevil, knocking it off the car and rolling on the ground with it. The Weevil bit Jack’s shoulder and clawed his chest. Jack’s scream spurred a primal response by Ianto and his rage gave him the additional strength to pull the full grown Weevil off of Jack and snap its neck. 

“Where’s your family Ianto?” Gwen asked.

Ianto dragged his eyes off of Jack and looked over at Rhiannon, who was also still in Lycan form between the two cars shielding the children from the sight of dead Weevils and an injured Jack.

“Are they alright?” Jack asked hoarsely, his voice rough from pain, blood loss and worry. Ianto knelt down beside him and grasped one of Jack’s blood-covered hands.

“They’re safe and unharmed thanks to you,” Ianto replied.

“Thanks to us, it was a team effort,” Jack said while trying to muster a slight smile. “You were so hot fighting in your lycan form.”

“Time and a place, Jack,” Ianto chided him. “Is he going to be alright?” Ianto asked Owen.

Owen had ripped Jack’s torn shirt open and applied temporary field dressings on his wounds. “His wounds are pretty deep, but he’ll live,” Owen told Ianto.

Ianto sighed in relief; morphing back to his human form he leaned over and kissed Jack briefly on the lips. “I have to see to Rhiannon and the children cariad,” Ianto said quietly to Jack.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Jack replied.

“Here, let’s cover Jack with an emergency blanket to keep him warm,” Owen suggested. Ianto and Owen used a blanket to cover Jack, keeping him warm plus hiding his wounds and the blood which had pooled on the ground. Gwen had already covered the Weevil corpses until they could throw them in the SUV boot before checking on the police.

“Jack, Ianto, the police are keeping people away from this area until we give them the all clear,” Gwen said as she joined them.

“Good; Gwen I need your help,” Ianto said. “Obviously my sister and her kids are shocked by all this and I can’t leave Jack. Would you please drive my sister and her children home and then come back for my car?”

“Sure Ianto,” Gwen readily agreed. “What do you want to do about retcon? Should I give it to them or not?” she asked. Gwen really didn’t want to give Ianto’s family retcon – it just seemed wrong.

“No retcon and that’s final,” Jack managed to say even though he was barely able to keep his eyes open.

“Whatever you say Jack, I just wanted to be sure,” Gwen said gently.

Ianto and Gwen walked over to Rhiannon, who stood up to meet them. “It’s okay, Rhi, the situation is under control now,” Ianto said. Rhiannon morphed back to her human form and pulled Ianto into a fierce hug.

“I was terrified Ianto!” she confessed. “Is Jack going to make it?” 

“He’s injured, but yes he will recover in a few days,” Ianto answered. “This is my coworker, Gwen Cooper. I want her to drive you home and make sure you get there safely. Normally I’d take you home, but I need to stay with Jack.”

“Sure, but once the dust settles we need to talk about what happened here, Ianto,” Rhiannon said. 

“Uncle Ianto?” 

Rhiannon turned to let David and Mica come out from their hiding place. Both children rushed into his arms. 

“I was so scared Uncle Ianto!” Mica said tears flowing down her cheeks. David was trying to be a brave boy, but Ianto could see the boy’s lower lip was trembling.

“It’s over and you’re safe,” Ianto said hugging both children. “I’ve got to go take care of your Uncle Jack, so I need you to go with your mum and my friend Gwen. I’ll call you later, alright?” Both children nodded their heads. Rhiannon picked up Mica and Gwen took David’s hand.

“See you back at the Hub,” Gwen said as Ianto handed her his car keys.

“Thanks Gwen,” Ianto replied before trotting back to take care of Jack while Gwen, Rhiannon and the children walked to Rhiannon’s car.

Owen and Ianto carried Jack to the SUV and laid him down on the back seat. Hurriedly they dumped the Weevil corpses into the boot of the SUV.

Ianto got into the back seat with Jack while Owen slid into the driver’s seat. “How are you holding up Jack?” Owen asked glancing into the rearview mirror.

“Hurts,” was all Jack could manage to say.

“Just hang in there until we get you back to the Hub then I’ll give you the good painkillers,” Owen promised as he put the SUV into drive. Ten minutes later he’d parked the SUV in the secure parking area of the Hub.

“We’re here cariad,” Ianto said softly to Jack. Jack was lying down in the back seat of the SUV his head resting on Ianto’s lap. “Can you walk or should we have Tosh bring up the gurney?”

“I can walk as long as I have you to hold on to,” Jack replied. Ianto slid out of the backseat first and then helped Jack get out. Jack had to stand still for a moment to let a wave of dizziness pass. Owen went ahead of them to open the door. 

As they took the stairs down Owen asked, “Ianto can you help Jack down the stairs alone? I want to get the medical bay ready so I can properly treat Jack’s wounds once he gets there.”

“We’ll be fine Owen; go get things ready,” Ianto replied. Owen nodded once and trotted down the stairs disappearing into the Hub.

Jack and Ianto were halfway down the stairs when Jack doubled over in pain grabbing his abdomen.

“Jack, what’s wrong?”

“Pain – really bad,” Jack hissed his knees buckling under him. Ianto eased Jack down into a sitting position on a step.

“Can you make it the rest of the way down the stairs?”

Jack shook his head and cried out when another pain stabbed him in the gut.

“It’s going to be alright Jack,” Ianto promised. “Just hang on.” Quickly morphing into lycan form, Ianto carefully picked Jack up and carried him bridal style down the remaining stairs and into the medical bay shouting for Owen at the top of his lungs.

“Jack doubled over in pain clutching his abdomen; I had to carry him the rest of way here,” Ianto explained as Owen helped him place Jack on the examination table.

“The Weevil didn’t slash you in the abdomen, Jack – did you take a blow to your abdomen during the fight?” Owen asked.

“I landed pretty hard on the car when I tackled that last Weevil,” Jack answered. “Where are those painkillers you promised me, Owen?” he asked groaning as the pain intensified.

“I can’t give you the painkillers until I check your abdomen,” Owen responded. He reached for the ultrasound machine. Ianto, who had changed back into his human form, opened Jack’s belt and trousers and Owen placed the ultrasound transducer probe against Jack’s abdomen; after watching the ultrasound monitor and moving the probe slowly across Jack’s abdomen for several minutes Owen found the cause of Jack’s pain. A cold, sick feeling of dread filled the pit of Owen’s stomach. He saved the images to the machine, turned it off and handed a small towel to Ianto. “Clean the gel off Jack’s abdomen while I get him something for the pain,” Owen instructed.

“So do you know what’s causing Jack to double over in pain?” Ianto asked as he cleaned the gel off Jack’s abdomen.

Owen didn’t answer Ianto’s question right away. “Jack, I’m setting up an IV to administer the pain medication as well as fluids to rehydrate you,” Owen said slipping the IV needle into Jack’s hand and then adjusting the drip rate. “You starting to feel the medicine?” he asked Jack.

“Yeah, the pain’s lessening,” Jack replied. Locking eyes with Owen he added, “You didn’t answer Ianto’s question – what’s wrong with me?”

“Jack you’re in pain because you’re having a miscarriage. I’m so sorry,” Owen answered. 

“Oh god,” Ianto whispered grabbing Jack’s hand.

Jack was stunned. Owen watched as Jack processed the information, his emotions moving from confusion to comprehension to sadness. “How . . . how far along?” he asked in an anguished whisper.

“Five, perhaps six weeks,” Owen replied.

“I didn’t know,” Jack said tears spilling down his face. Jack turned to Ianto; “You’ve got to believe me, Ianto, I didn’t know. I wouldn’t have tackled that Weevil if I had known I was pregnant – it’s my fault!” Jack sobbed.

Ianto pulled Jack into his arms. “It was an accident Cariad, it’s not your fault,” he said trying to sooth his devastated mate while his own heart broke. 

Owen quietly retreated out of the room to give them some time alone. 


	14. Numb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the tragic events of the Weevil attack.
> 
> **This Chapter rated PG-13.**

Tosh was worried. She knew Jack and Ianto had fought Weevils while protecting Ianto’s sister and her children and Jack had been injured. What she didn’t understand was why Ianto was holding a sobbing Jack down in the medical bay. “Owen, what’s wrong with Jack?” she asked as he walked over and sat down at his work station.

Rubbing his hand over his face Owen sighed. “Sorry Tosh I can’t tell you because of doctor patient confidentiality,” he replied.

“Okay,” Tosh replied hesitating for a moment. “Tell Jack if there’s anything I can do, he only has to ask.”

Owen nodded and stood back up wearily. “I’ll tell him Tosh, thanks,” he said before heading back to the medical bay. Walking back down the stairs Owen found Ianto sitting on the exam table with his arms wrapped around Jack talking to him softly. Jack’s head was resting on Ianto’s shoulder; his sobs had diminished to shuddering breaths as he wore himself out. Owen checked Jack’s vital signs. "How's your pain level, Jack?" Owen asked.

"It's not as bad as it was," Jack admitted. His face was pale, nose runny and eyes red rimmed with shadows underneath them. Owen handed him some tissues which Jack took gratefully and blew his nose before tossing them in a bin.

"Owen, is there some, um, medical procedure you need to do to Jack after . . ." Ianto couldn't finish the question he started to ask because saying the word, miscarriage, would make what happened real somehow – a new life gone and their hopes with it. Ianto resumed carding his fingers through Jack's hair trying to provide as much comfort to him mate as possible.

"According to the information Jack gave me about male pregnancy in a miscarriage this early the womb will simply absorb the tissue and basically reset itself," Owen explained gently to both men. "I'll need to do a scan tomorrow and the next day to make sure this natural process goes smoothly. Right now I want to finish treating Jack's wounds and then you two should go home and rest."

Ianto helped Owen clean Jack up while Jack lay there feeling exhausted and somewhat numb. Once they were done Owen removed the IV from Jack's hand. “Tosh asked what’s wrong with you, but I didn’t say anything to her. She did say to tell you if you need anything all you have to do is ask,” Owen commented and then added, “You might want to tell Tosh and Gwen about what happened today.”

Jack looked at Owen and shook his head. “I can’t talk to them about this; at least not tonight,” Jack said tearfully.

Owen placed a comforting hand on Jack’s arm. “I’m not saying you have to talk to them right now, but perhaps in a day or two you should explain what happened or, if you prefer I can explain it to them,” Owen offered. “You and Ianto are going to need emotional support from your teammates, family and even some pack members if possible. Just think about it, alright?”

“Alright,” Jack agreed; Ianto nodded his agreement as well. Ianto and Jack went to the locker room and changed into clean clothes. As they returned to the main floor of the Hub Gwen arrived through the cogwheel door.

“Rhiannon and the children are at home with Johnny and doing fine considering the circumstances,” Gwen said handing Ianto his car keys. “Here are your car keys; your car’s parked in your usual spot. Remember Rhiannon’s expecting you to call her tonight,” she added.

“Thanks Gwen,” Ianto said putting his keys in his pocket.

“You’re welcome; better take Jack home before he collapses,” Gwen added glancing over in Jack’s direction worriedly.

Ianto put his arm around Jack’s waist because Jack did seem a little unsteady on his feet. “I’ll take him home now,” he said.

“Hang on a second,” Owen announced as he came up from the medical bay. He handed Ianto two small containers. Pointing at the first one he explained, “These are pain meds; have Jack take two once you get him home and there’s another dose he can take in six hours again if he needs it. The other container has a mild sedative Jack should take it if he can’t fall asleep.”

“I am standing right here, Owen,” Jack complained quietly.

Making eye contact with Jack Owen replied, “I know, Jack, but I also know you’re exhausted and not quite with it at the moment, which is why I’m putting Ianto in charge of your care including your medication.” Owen placed his hand on Jack’s shoulder as a sign of comfort; “Go home Jack and rest. I’ll come by in the morning to see how you’re doing and we’ll decide what to do next,” he offered.

“You’re right Owen, I need to rest; we’ll see you in the morning,” Jack agreed.

“Come on Jack, let’s get you home. Night everyone,” Ianto said as he guided Jack towards the cogwheel door and out into the evening.

The trip to the flat was quick and Ianto was able to get Jack into the flat with no difficulties. Jack made it into the bedroom before his legs gave out as he sat down heavily on the bed. Ianto removed Jack’s clothing except for his boxers and made him lie down before he covered Jack with the duvet. “Are you hungry Jack; maybe some toast and tea?”

“Not hungry,” Jack confessed.

“Alright, I’ll be right back love,” Ianto said kissing Jack on the forehead. He quickly locked up and pulled two bottled waters from the refrigerator before walking back into the master bedroom. Jack opened his eyes and managed to sit up long enough to pop the pain meds in his mouth and drink half the bottle of water Ianto gave him before lying back down on his uninjured side. Ianto stripped down to his boxers, turned off the light and then climbed into bed and spooned against Jack’s back. He carefully wrapped his arms around Jack mindful of his still-healing chest and shoulder wounds. Ianto closed his eyes just as his mobile started ringing. “Bugger,” he muttered quietly as he reached for his mobile in the dark. The display announced Rhiannon was calling him. Sighing, Ianto answered, “Sorry Rhi, I forgot to call you,” he whispered.

“Why are you whispering?” Rhiannon asked.

“We got home a few minutes ago and I just got Jack to bed,” he replied. “How are you and the children doing?”

“We’re still shaken up, but we’ll be alright,” she replied. “How’s Jack doing? The children, well really all of us are worried about him.”

Ianto wasn’t quite sure what to say so he settled for, “His injuries were a little worse than we thought, so it’s going to be a while before you can visit; doctor’s orders.” He knew Jack and he needed time to sort through what had happened before they saw Rhiannon and the children again.

“I understand,” Rhiannon said. “You tell Jack we’re grateful for everything you two did today and we love you both very much.”

“I will,” Ianto promised. “And we love you too. Goodnight Rhi.”

“Goodnight Ianto,” Rhi replied.

Ianto turned off his mobile and put it back on the nightstand.

“Are they okay?” Jack asked quietly.

“Shaken up, but alright,” Ianto confirmed. He wrapped his arms around Jack once again. “Get some rest now Jack,” Ianto kissed the back of Jack’s neck and whispered, “Love you.”

“Love you too,” replied a sleepy-sounding Jack.  



	15. Sharing Information Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two days after the tragic events of the Weevil attack Jack and Ianto talk with their team.
> 
> This Chapter rated PG-13.

Owen studied the ultrasound monitor as he gently slid the transducer probe across Jack’s abdomen. “Looks like your womb has reset itself Jack,” he commented before shutting the machine down and handing a towel to Ianto, who gently cleaned the ultrasound gel off of Jack’s skin.

Jack stood up, straightened his clothes and zipped up his trousers. “Am I cleared for field work?” he asked trying to sound like his normal, cheerful self.

“You’re physically fit for field work, Jack,” Owen agreed. “Have you’ve been sleeping alright?”

Jack almost lied to Owen, but realized Ianto would make him tell the truth. “No,” he admitted.

“Not surprising really; remember, recovering physically and emotionally are two separate processes. You need to give yourself time to recover emotionally, Jack; you both do,” Owen added glancing over at Ianto. “You two need a support network, which is why I want Gwen and Tosh to know what happened,” Owen reminded them. “They’ve already been tiptoeing around you for the past two days and it’s starting to interfere with our jobs.”

“He’s right Jack,” Ianto agreed. “Tosh and Gwen need to know what happened.”

“I don’t know if I can tell them without breaking down, Ianto,” Jack said quietly while pulling his braces over his shoulders.

Ianto wrapped his arms around Jack and promised, “We’ll tell them together Cariad. Owen will be there too and if you become too upset we’ll go home. Sound like a plan?”

Jack leaned into Ianto’s embrace. “Yeah, sounds like a plan,” he agreed.

"You two go into the conference room; I'll go get Gwen and Tosh," Owen said.

Ianto and Jack were already seated at the conference table when Owen, Tosh and Gwen arrived. They sat down in their usual chairs. “You wanted to talk to us, Jack?” Tosh asked trying to encourage Jack.

“Yeah,” Jack said hoarsely. He cleared this throat and continued in a clearer voice, “Do you remember me saying I could get pregnant?”

“First time I saw you, at that murder scene, it was raining and you said the oestrogen in the rain would keep you from getting pregnant,” Gwen recalled. “I thought you were joking.”

“I was joking about the oestrogen in the rain, but not about getting pregnant; I’m from the 51st century and I can bear children,” Jack explained. “Two days ago I was injured when Ianto and I protected Rhiannon and the children from those Weevils. When we arrived back at the Hub I doubled over in terrible pain. Owen scanned my abdomen and discovered I was pregnant, but I had miscarried.” Tears were flowing down Jack’s face. “Sorry, I can’t seem to stop crying – stupid hormones.”

Ianto pulled Jack into his arms and Jack laid his head on Ianto’s shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay to cry Jack, we’ve suffered a loss; you cry as much as you need to, Cariad,” he said tears flowing down his face as well.

Owen watched Gwen and Tosh’s reactions to this bombshell and was pleased to see they had similar reactions; surprise, acceptance and sadness. One minute Jack was being hugged just by Ianto and the next minute he and Ianto were engulfed in a Tosh-Gwen hug. Owen let the hugging continue for a couple of minutes before calling out, “Alright enough ladies, let the poor blokes breathe.”

Gwen and Tosh let go of the boys and reluctantly returned to their chairs, each grabbing some tissues to wipe away their tears. “Were you trying to get pregnant?” Tosh asked gently.

“Yes we were trying to get pregnant,” Jack admitted. “Originally we were going to tell you about it once I was pregnant but then it all went horribly wrong.”

“But you can try again, right?” Gwen asked.

“I’m afraid to; I didn’t know I was pregnant because I had no symptoms and then I lost the baby. I can’t go through that again,” Jack explained. 

“Jack, the odds are you would have miscarried anyway even if you’d not had a fight with some Weevils. Something went wrong with the pregnancy, perhaps the placenta became detached from the uterine wall or one chromosome was damaged and the baby wouldn’t have survived so your body miscarried ending the pregnancy,” Owen explained. “We simply don’t know for certain.”

“Perhaps, but if I’m not sure I’m pregnant I could hesitate next time I’m out in the field and someone could get injured or worse yet, killed because of my actions,” Jack explained his concern.

“We don’t have to worry about it right now, Cariad,” Ianto murmured as he wiped away Jack’s tears with a tissue. “We can stop trying for a while until we figure out a way to detect a pregnancy as early as possible.”

Jack looked hopefully at Ianto; “You’re really okay with not trying to get pregnant for a while?”

Cupping Jack’s face with his hand; “I’m willing to wait until we have a system in place where you’ll feel confident that we’ll know the moment you’re pregnant so we won’t put the baby or our team in jeopardy.”

“Thank you; I love you,” Jack replied kissing Ianto.

“Aww,” Tosh and Gwen said simultaneously grinning.

Rolling his eyes, Owen says, “Oi, enough you two, break it up.” Jack and Ianto stopped kissing but smiled at each other.

Ianto’s mobile started ringing. He looked at the display, “It’s Rhiannon; I need to take this call,” he said stepping outside the conference room.

“Does Rhiannon know what happened?” Gwen asked Jack.

Jack sighed, “No, she doesn’t know. I want to tell her, but I don’t want her to feel guilty about it.”

“She needs to know Jack,” Owen said. “Rhiannon is Ianto’s only sibling and an important part of the support system he and you need. Promise me you and Ianto will tell her what happened.”

Before Jack could reply, Ianto came back into the room and sat down by him. “Rhiannon is really worried about you and insists on coming to our flat to see us tonight; I really can’t put her off any longer,” he said apologetically.

“It’s alright Ianto, I know we need to talk to her,” Jack agreed.

“Listen, why don’t you two go home,” Gwen suggested. “Tosh said the rift is supposed to be quiet the rest of the day and we three can cover things here. Talk with Rhiannon and then spend some time cuddling together.”

“For a change, Gwen’s right,” Owen agreed. “Go home you two and we’ll see you tomorrow.”

Ianto and Jack didn’t argue and headed out the cogwheel door after Ianto made one more pot of coffee for Owen, Gwen and Tosh.

“Right, now that they’ve gone, let’s come up with a way to get our EPA program up and running,” Tosh said.

“What is EPA?” Owen asked.

“Early Pregnancy Alert,” Tosh quipped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note from socalrose: I've heard a problem shared is a problem halved. Do you think the team will come up with a solution? How will Rhiannon react to the news Jack was pregnant and miscarried? Sorry if this part of the story is boring anyone, but it needs to be told to set up the plot further down the line. As always your comments, questions or concerns are appreciated. Talk to me people!  
>  


	16. Sharing Information Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the tragic events of the Weevil attack Jack and Ianto told their team mates; now they have to tell Rhiannon.
> 
> This Chapter rated PG-13.

“You really think this is a good idea?” Jack asked. He was leaning against the kitchen door, his hands shoved into his trouser pockets, a nervous habit when he was uncomfortable or upset.

Ianto finished putting away the groceries before turning to Jack. “I think telling Rhiannon and Elder Harold Jones at the same time is a good idea, which is why I suggested it. Harold’s the one who helped me think things through after you and I had that row, remember? I trust him Jack and you can too.” He wrapped his arms around Jack’s waist and kissed him softly. Jack pulled his hands out of his pockets and grabbed Ianto’s shoulders while deepening the kiss. They came up for air when someone started knocking at their front door. “Ready, Cariad?” Ianto asked.

“Yes.” They went to the door together and when Ianto opened it he let out“oomph” in surprise when Rhiannon rushed in and hugged him.

“I have been so worried about you two – where’s Jack?” Rhiannon asked not expecting Jack to be up and about yet.

“I’m right here Rhiannon,” Jack replied stepping into her line of view.

“Jack you should still be in bed resting!” Rhiannon said. She let go of Ianto and approached Jack carefully hugging him because she didn’t know his injuries had already healed.

“I’m alright now Rhiannon,” Jack responded.

“Ahem.” They turned back to the door and saw Harold Jones standing there patiently holding a carton with some items in it.

“Sorry, Harold,” Ianto said stepping out of the way so Harold could enter.

“I thought it was best to let Rhiannon go first so she wouldn’t accidentally run me over when she launched herself at you two,” Harold replied with a smile. “Rhiannon made cawl for you and Jack, so which way to the kitchen?”

“It’s this way,” Ianto said leading the way with the others following. “Rhi, you didn’t have to make food for us.”

“Nonsense, least I could do for my heroes,” Rhiannon said. Harold placed the carton on the counter carefully and pulled out a bottle.

“Rhiannon made the cawl, but I brought the whisky,” Harold announced handing it to Ianto.

“Thanks,” Ianto replied. “Look, why don’t we all sit at the table and have a glass of this fine whisky and talk for a bit?”

Jack nodded his agreement. “I’ll get the glasses,” he said.

“I usually only have wine or a beer,” Rhiannon said sounding reluctant.

Harold sensed something was amiss, but caught the look in Ianto’s eyes; a look which said Rhiannon was going to need a stiff drink. “You should try some of this whisky with a little bit of water added, Rhiannon,” Harold encouraged.

“Oh alright,” she finally agreed. They all sat down at the kitchen table Rhiannon sitting to Jack’s right and Ianto to his left while Harold sat across the table from him. Ianto poured a finger of whisky for each of them and added water to Rhiannon’s whisky. She took a sip and exclaimed, “Wow, I forgot it has a kick to it!”

“Now that we all have our drinks, mind telling me why you wanted me to come with Rhiannon to visit with you?” Harold asked.

“We wanted you here so we could explain things to you both at the same time,” Ianto began. “First I want to say we are thankful Rhiannon and the children weren’t hurt by the creatures which tried to attack them. As you know Jack was hurt pretty badly during the fight. He had chest wounds and a bite on his shoulder and we took him back to our base so our medic could treat him.”

“But you said you’re alright Jack,” Rhiannon interjected looking slightly confused.

“I’ve physically recovered from my wounds,” Jack confirmed, “but I – we suffered a loss,” he added. Ianto reached over and grasped Jack’s hand in his trying to comfort him. Jack tried to continue the explanation but only managed to shake his head and tell Ianto, “I’m sorry, I can’t. . .”

“It’s okay, Jack; I’ll explain,” Ianto said gently. “Rhi, what we’re trying to tell you is Jack’s from the 51st century and he can bear children. After the fight we found out Jack was pregnant and had miscarried. We lost the baby.”

Ianto’s explanation was met with total silence. Harold seemed surprised but was taking the information rather well while Rhi looked stunned. She downed the rest of her whisky in one go and coughed for a few seconds before finding her voice again. “Jack, you can really bear children?” she asked.

Jack nodded his eyes shiny with unshed tears. He wasn’t certain if Rhi would believe them or how she would react. He could see Rhi was thinking about it her eyebrows pulled down in concentration. “Oh my god, you lost your baby protecting me and my children; I’m so sorry Jack,” Rhi said pulling Jack into a hug. “You must hate us.” she added.

“No I don’t;” Jack replied tears freely flowing down his face now. “I love you and the kids. I didn’t know I was pregnant and it’s nobody’s fault. Our medic said I would have probably miscarried anyway.” Rhi was still hugging Jack and Ianto was rubbing Jack’s back to comfort him.

“We didn’t tell you to make you feel bad, Rhi,” Ianto explained. “We told you and Harold because we need our friends’ and family’s support to get through this tragedy.”

Rhi finally let go of Jack and accepted some tissues from Harold to dry her eyes. “Well you’ve got our support, Jack and Ianto. Whatever you need you just tell us and it’s yours,” she said with utter conviction. “Jack, I know what it’s like to miscarry,” she said softly.

“You do?”

Rhiannon nodded. “I got pregnant a year after David was born, but I miscarried when I was two months pregnant. My doctor told me there was nothing I could have done to prevent it.”

“Oh Rhi, I’m so sorry,” Jack said hugging her again. They both started crying again.

“It’s alright Jack,” Rhi replied hugging him back. “After all that sadness, I got pregnant again and gave birth to my precious Mica. Are you and Ianto going to try again, Jack?”

“Not right away, but we will try again,” Jack confirmed. They let go of each other and wiped their tears away.

Ianto leaned over and kissed Jack. “You alright, Cariad?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Jack replied. “Rhi, do you have any questions?”

“What should I tell David and Mica?” Your sadness is going to come and go for a while; at least that’s what I experienced,” Rhiannon shared. “They’re very observant children, especially Mica.”

Jack thought about it; “I don’t want to tell them I was pregnant, I mean I think they should know the next time I get pregnant and so should Johnny. Maybe for now we could tell them a surrogate was pregnant and miscarried and that’s why we’re sad?” Jack suggested. He looked at Ianto to see what he thought.

“I think that would be fine for now, Jack. What do you think Rhi?” Ianto asked.

“Yeah, that would work,” Rhi agreed. “You’d better be prepared to be smothered with hugs and kisses the next time Mica sees you two.”

“What about you Harold? Do you have any questions or concerns?” Ianto asked.

“I’m glad you both felt comfortable confiding in Rhiannon and me,” Harold said, “and I’m truly sorry you’ve suffered this terrible loss. I take it you’re only confiding in your team mates, Rhiannon and I?”

“Yes, for now” Jack answered. “Obviously we can’t let everyone know I can have children, because there are people out there that would lock me up and experiment on me.”

“Like bloody hell they will,” Rhiannon practically growled. “No one touches my family!”

“Calm down, Rhiannon,” Harold said laying a calming hand on Rhiannon’s arm. “Although she’s right Jack; you’re family now and we’ll do everything we can to protect you.”

“Thank you,” Jack said greatly relieved and pleased by their acceptance. “You took all of this news rather well Harold – how come?”

“Used to be we had males in our pack who were bearers; they too could bear children like you’re capable of doing Jack. Unfortunately, our last male bearer died a hundred years ago which is why Cardiff Lycans were added to the endangered species list,” Harold explained.

“Lycans are on the endangered species list?” Jack asked surprised at the news.

Harold chuckled; “Cardiff Lycans are on the private, royal endangered species list, Jack,” Harold replied. “Only a few keys positions in the government know about us; we’re mainly sponsored by Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince Harry. It’s mainly in the form of scholarships, small business loans, plus the private reserve on the edge of Beacon Breacons. We use it for camping, retreats and pack gatherings.

Jack was quiet for a moment mulling Harold’s information over. He looked over at Ianto and said, “So when She calls to discuss things with me and then always wants to talk to you for a few minutes it’s because,”

“She finds the thought of a Cardiff Lycan in Torchwood highly amusing and yet somehow appropriate,” Ianto said with a smirk.

For the first time in two days Jack genuinely smiled and chuckled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note from socalrose: At last the boys have told Rhiannon as well as Pack Elder Harold Jones. Do you think this is a good thing? Comments and questions are always welcomed!


	17. Therapy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack's worried about Ianto and doesn't know what to do, so he calls someone who can help.
> 
> This Chapter rated PG-13.

“So you told Rhiannon?” Owen asked as Ianto handed him a coffee.

“Yeah we did last night in fact,” Ianto confirmed. “We also told Elder Harold Jones at the same time.”

Owen sipped his coffee enjoying the taste and aroma. Casually he asked, “How did they react?”

“Rhiannon was stunned but very supportive; she even told us she had miscarried once too. She really understands what Ianto and I are going through. Harold understands and is being supportive too,” Jack explained.

“That’s good,” Owen replied, “You’ve got a network of supportive family and friends, now the trick is to make sure you and Jack utilize it. If you have questions or you start feeling overwhelmed emotionally talk to one of us. Remember, we can’t help if we don’t know what’s going on.”

“We will,” Jack promised. Looking at his watch he said, “I’ve got a conference call with the PM so I’ll see you later,” he said to them before kissing Ianto lightly on the lips and then heading into his office. Owen headed off to do an autopsy and Ianto went down into the archives to put the latest work case files away. After working steadily for a few hours Ianto stood up to stretch his long legs. He paced back and forth near his desk as he read the latest case report one last time; it was about some alien tech which had come through the rift only to appear on a children’s playground. Jack and he had arrived to discover a young boy playing with it. The colour had drained from Jack’s face when he saw what the boy was holding and he immediately coaxed the boy into giving him the tech. Once he had the tech in his hand, Jack had swiftly walked back to the SUV with Ianto without saying a word. After placing the object in one of their strongest containment boxes and activating an additional force field around it, Jack let out a sigh of relief as he leaned against the SUV.

“Jack, are you okay?” Ianto asked in concern.

“I am now,” Jack replied reaching over to Ianto and pulling him into a hug briefly.

“What is that object you took away from the boy?” Ianto asked. “It almost looked like a toy, but by the way you reacted I assume it is a weapon.”

“It’s a bomb,” Jack explained. “It’s deliberately designed to look like a toy so a child will pick it up. If the kid had started tossing it around it would have activated and then exploded. The boy would have been reduced to a nothing but a red mist.”

“Red mist?” Ianto asked not quite certain what Jack meant.

Jack grabbed Ianto’s hand in his before explaining, “He would have been blown into such small fragments he’d have been nothing more than a spray of red mist covering a twenty yard radius.”

“Fuck,” Ianto said in shock. “What kind of beings would do that?”

“I’ve seen the weapon used before by alien land grabbers when they tried to force a human colony away from their homes because they wanted their land. This kind of activity was and is considered a war crime by the Shadow Proclamation.”

“I should bloody well think it would be,” Ianto said. “Should that even be in the armory?”

“No, it’s too unstable. I’ll take it to the old abandoned quarry and blow it up using the remote-controlled robot Tosh created.”

Ianto closed the case file and put it away. He was glad Jack had exploded the bomb at the quarry. His thoughts turned to Jack. Jack was slowly getting better emotionally. His crying jags were less frequent and he had even smiled and chuckled last night when he’d learned why She always wanted to chat with Ianto after talking on the phone with Jack. Oh sure he’d cried a few times with Jack, but he hadn’t really examined his own feelings too closely. Owen said Jack had been about five to six weeks pregnant when he’d miscarried. Ianto wondered what their child looked like at five to six weeks of development and sat down at his desk and booted up his computer. A quick Google search led him to a web site with photos of babies in various stages of development. Clicking on the week five category he was confronted by several photos of a five week old fetus. Still a bit blobby, but arm and leg buds were visible, the head was taking shape and the heart was fully functional. A sob escaped Ianto’s throat surprising him. When did he start crying?

“Oh Ianto,” Jack said quietly. He had finished his phone conference and come downstairs to ask Ianto out to lunch only to find his life mate sobbing over photos of a fetus. Jack couldn’t even look at the pictures, so he closed the browser and pulled Ianto into his embrace. “You shouldn’t torture yourself like that; it doesn’t help.”

Ianto relaxed into Jack’s embrace inhaling his mate’s unique scent which helped calm him down. He eventually pulled away from Jack and retrieved his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his eyes. “Sorry, I didn’t think about what I was doing; obviously a very bad idea.”

“Yes it was,” Jack agreed tears filling his own eyes. “Come on let’s get out of here for a walk and some lunch.”

“Good idea,” Ianto replied drying Jack’s tears as well. They walked around the bay for awhile before stopping at a pub for some fish and chips.

“Are you alright Ianto?” Jack asked stealing a chip from Ianto since he had already finished his own.

“I’m better now, thanks to you,” Ianto replied.

Jack didn’t quite believe him, but he didn’t want to push Ianto while they were in public. “Good,” he said. “Let’s head back to work.”

They returned to the Hub. Jack went to his office and Ianto made a fresh batch of coffee. Once Ianto had served the others their latest caffeine fix he went to Jack’s office and handed Jack his favorite blue and white striped mug filled with his aromatic and tasty brew. “Tosh asked me to help her with one of her programs this afternoon so if you need me I’ll be at her work station.”

“Okay, but I want to spend the evening with you so let’s leave at five,” Jack replied.

“Rift permitting,” Ianto reminded him. He leaned down and kissed Jack. They enjoyed their kiss for a moment before pulling apart.

“You better get going before Tosh comes looking for you,” Jack chided.

“Right, see you later,” Ianto said.

Jack watched Ianto leave his office and go join Tosh at her work station. Once Ianto and Tosh were obviously focused on their task Jack pulled his mobile out of his trouser pocket. He hesitated for a moment then punched in the speed dial code.

The phone rang a couple of times and then a woman answered. “Hello, Jack – what’s up?”

“Hi, Rhi,” Jack answered. “I’m worried about Ianto.”

“He seemed okay last night; has something happened?” she asked.

“I found him at his desk this morning looking at a web site which shows what your baby looks like at different times during a pregnancy. He was crying when I found him,” Jack said. “He’s been so focused on taking care of me he hasn’t let himself grieve properly. I tried talking with him during lunch, but he just said he’s okay. I don’t know how to help him,” Jack admitted.

“I’m glad you called Jack. Ianto always takes care of others and neglects to take care of himself properly. I think I know how to help Ianto, but I need to call Harold in to help. Are you alright with that?” Rhiannon asked.

“It’s okay to have Harold help, Rhi,” Jack answered.

“Good, I’ll call Harold right now and then call you back. Hang in there Jack.”

“I will; thanks Rhi.” They said goodbye and ended the call. Jack hoped Rhiannon’s idea would help Ianto.

The Rift remained quiet through the afternoon and Tosh told Jack her Rift predictor program indicated it would remain quiet until midday tomorrow. Jack and Ianto left promptly at five and walked home to their flat. They had only been home ten minutes before someone knocked on their front door.

“I’ll get it,” Jack said. He opened the door to find Rhi had arrived with Johnny and the children in tow as planned. Jack let them in saying, “Ianto looks who’s here!”

“Rhi, what are you doing here?” Ianto asked.

“Checking up on you two,” Rhi replied as David, Mica and Johnny followed her into the flat. The kids hadn’t seen Jack and Ianto since the Weevil attack.

Mica tugged on Jack’s arm and he picked her up and hugged her. “Uncle Jack, are you okay now?” Mica asked.

“I’m doing better pumpkin,” Jack replied.

“Good,” Mica said kissing him on the cheek.

“You guys are heroes!” David said to Ianto and Jack.

“Thanks David,” Ianto replied. “I think your mum’s a hero too and you and Mica were very brave.”

“I can’t thank you two enough for what you did for Rhiannon and the children,” Johnny said. “And I’m sorry to hear your surrogate miscarried.”

“That means a lot to us Johnny, thanks,” Jack replied. Another knock on the door interrupted their conversation. “I’ll get that,” Jack said.

“Jack, what’s going on?” Ianto asked.

“One second,” Jack said opening the door and letting Harold Jones come inside; he was carrying pizza boxes.

“Sorry I’m late but I had to wait for our order,” Harold explained heading for the dining room.

“Will someone please tell me what’s going on here,” Ianto demanded getting a little frustrated.

“It really quite simple, Ianto,” Harold replied setting the pizza boxes down on the dining table. “This is a pack intervention.”

“Intervention – for who?” Ianto asked looking confused.

“For whom and the answer is you,” Harold countered. “Listen, let’s all sit down and I’ll explain everything.”

Ianto looked like he was going to refuse when Jack gently touched his arm. “Please Ianto, just give us a few minutes and Harold will explain.” Ianto saw the concern in Jack’s eyes and relented.

“Alright, but Harold better have at least one meat feast pizza,” Ianto grumbled. Once everyone was seated and the pizza was served, Harold began his explanation.

“Jack is worried about you Ianto so he called Rhiannon and voiced his concerns. After discussing you with Jack, Rhiannon also became concerned and called me and we came to a decision.

“Oh, and what decision is that?” Ianto asked raising his eyebrow and getting a little defensive.

Harold simply said, “That you, Ianto Jones, have been so concerned with Jack’s well being you’ve neglected your own emotional health. Fortunately, Jack is doing a little better and realized today that you needed some help, which is why we’re having this intervention.”

Jack reached for Ianto’s hand and held it in his own. “Ianto, you’ve taken such good care of me through all this and today I saw how much you’re still hurting from the loss of our baby and I didn’t know what to do to help you so I asked for their help. Please let them help you and me,” Jack begged.

Ianto was deeply touched by Jack’s words and the love he saw in Jack’s eyes. Jack had asked for help and their family and pack hadn’t hesitated in responding. He kissed Jack softly on the lips. “Thank you Cariad for seeing my pain even though I tried to hide it from you.” Turning to his family and pack he added, “I am grateful you all responded to Jack’s call; Harold, what did you want to do?”

“Now that we’ve all eaten, I thought we’d simply go to Bute Park and have a good old fashioned Howling ceremony.”

“Wow, I haven’t attended a Howling ceremony since Tad passed away,” Ianto admitted.

“Ianto, why don’t you and Jack go change into some comfortable clothes, and then we’ll head out,” Rhiannon suggested.

Jack and Ianto went and changed into jogging bottoms tee shirts and hoodies while Rhiannon and Johnny cleared the remnants of their pizza dinner from the dining room. Ianto and Jack rode in Harold’s car and Rhiannon, Johnny and the children followed in their car. They drove to a secluded area of the park and got out of their cars. It was late and this part of the park was deserted.

“So what’s involved in a Howling?” Jack inquired unsure what to expect.

“I guess you could sort of think of it as a Lycan form of keening; vocalizations with or without words to express our sorrow,” Harold explained.

“Is there anything I need to do?” Jack asked.

“I’d like you to sit on this bench with the children and observe at the beginning. This is not a formal ceremony; there’s no right or wrong way to do this, so if you feel the need to express yourself at any point, please do so,” Harold said.

“Come on, Uncle Jack,” David said leading him over to the bench. Mica sat in Jack’s lap and David sat next to him. Johnny and Rhiannon disappeared behind some trees while Ianto and Harold screened themselves behind some other trees. After shedding their clothes they morphed into their lycan forms before stepping into the little clearing where Jack and the children were waiting. Harold’s lycan form was slightly taller and slimmer than Ianto’s with dark brown fur although there were streaks of gray fur on his face sort of matching the graying of his temple area and side burns in his human form. Johnny’s lycan form was shorter and stockier with light brown fur. Ianto and Rhiannon were easily recognizable with their auburn fur; her lycan form was smaller and more feminine a perfect counterpoint to her brother’s strong masculine lycan form.

“We gather to mourn the loss of Jack and Ianto’s baby,” Harold said. “This was no one’s fault, this kind of tragedy simply happens sometimes. However, the pain of loss is just as deep for Ianto and Jack and for their family and our pack.” Harold then raised his head to look at the moon and stars and began a lycan howl in a deep bass voice.

“I will never get to hold you my baby, but I will always love you,” Ianto said with tears in his voice. He added his rich, baritone howl to Harold’s. Soon Rhiannon’s alto howl and Johnny’s tenor howl joined with Harold and Ianto’s.

It was so beautiful, sad and moving; there were tears flowing down everyone’s faces. Jack was startled when David and Mica started howling too even though they weren’t old enough to be able to transform into lycan form yet. Mica got off of Jack’s lap and she and David pulled him over to the others. Ianto placed his hands on Jack’s waist and Harold placed his hand on Jack’s shoulder. Rhiannon and Johnny picked up David and Mica. Their howling continued for several more minutes until finally only Ianto’s voice remained. Once he felt he had fully expressed his deep sorrow he stopped howling and pulled Jack into his embrace.

Jack had a lump in his throat and couldn’t say a word so he simply leaned into Ianto’s embrace taking comfort from his life mate’s strong presence. One by one Rhiannon, Johnny and then Harold left briefly to morph back into their human forms and get dressed. “Ianto, it’s getting late and we need to get the children home,” Rhiannon said as she picked Mica up again.

“Thank you so much for setting this Howling up; it’s helped me tremendously,” Ianto said hugging his sister and niece. Johnny and David hugged him and Jack too and then they headed off to their car.

Ianto morphed back into human form and got dressed. Harold drove them back to their flat. “Thanks so much for helping with the Howling therapy Harold. You were right I wasn’t taking care of my emotional needs,” Ianto admitted.

“I was glad to help, Ianto. Kudos to you Jack, for realizing Ianto needed help and for reaching out to us for assistance. Goodnight you two,” Harold replied.

“Goodnight Harold and thanks for everything,” Jack said. They watched as Harold drove off and then they went into their flat. Jack locked the door and turned off the lights while Ianto headed to their bedroom. Quickly they stripped down to their boxers and climbed into bed.

“Thank you, Cariad for realizing I needed help and getting it for me,” Ianto said as wrapped his arms around Jack.

“You’re welcome,” Jack murmured. “We’re going to get through this aren’t we?”

Ianto kissed Jack slowly. “Yeah, we’re going to get through this together, Cariad,” Ianto agreed. Jack snuggled closer tucking his head against Ianto’s chest and closed his eyes. They fell asleep in each other’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note from socalrose: What did you think of the Howling therapy. Do you think it worked? Comments and questions are always welcomed!


	18. Project EPA

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack's thinking about getting pregnant again, but he's worried. Can his team allay his concerns?
> 
> This Chapter rated PG-13.

‘Jack’s found another one,’ Ianto thought as he carried the takeout back to the SUV. Jack was talking to a young couple who were out for a stroll with their baby.

“Sam is six months old now and eats like a horse,” the mother proudly informed Jack.

“Who’s this then?” Ianto asked as he joined them.

“This is Sarah, Bob and this little tiger with the strong grip on my finger is Sam,” Jack answered. “Sarah and Bob meet my partner, Ianto.”

“Nice to miss you,” Ianto said shaking their hands. “Handsome son you have there.”  
“Thank you,” Sarah replied. “He’s our joy.”

“Except at two in the morning when he wakes us up,” Bob added playfully.

“Oh, stop it, you; don’t believe what he’s saying. He loves taking care of Sam as much as I do,” countered Sarah.

“Doesn’t surprise me, he’s wonderful,” Jack agreed playfully shaking his finger while Sam tried to put it in his mouth.

“We better get back to the Hub before lunch gets cold,” Ianto reminded Jack.

Jack nodded. “Okay tiger, time to let go of my finger,” Jack said to Sam as he gently removed his finger from the child’s grip. “You folks have a lovely stroll with your son.”

“We will; goodbye,” Bob said as they continued their stroll.

Jack and Ianto entered the Hub five minutes later. “About time you got back with the food; I’m starving,” Owen said.

“Keep your shirt on Owen,” Jack said. “We’ve got enough to feed an army. Meet us in the boardroom in five minutes.” Ianto followed Jack into the boardroom where they unpacked the food.

“You’re thinking about trying to get pregnant again, aren’t you?” Ianto asked casually.

Jack stopped perusing the food choices and looked at Ianto. “I might have thought about it – what makes you think so?”

“Jack, every time you spot a couple with a baby or a toddler you can’t resist stopping and talking to them and cooing over the child,” Ianto said walking over behind his mate. Putting his arms around Jack and placing his hands on Jack’s stomach Ianto added, “Plus you keep putting your hand on your stomach like you’re imaging what it would be like carrying our child.” Tenderly Ianto kissed the back of Jack’s neck; “Am I wrong, Cariad?” he asked.

“You’re too observant Ianto,” Jack replied huskily. He turned around in Ianto’s arm and added, “I do want to try again, but I’m scared to; we haven’t found a way to detect a pregnancy as early as possible.”

“What about those pee-on-a-stick pregnancy tests?” Ianto asked.

“They’re designed for women with monthly cycles, not for 51st century males who can bear children,” Jack replied. “By the time the test was positive I’d be two months pregnant. I need to know sooner than two months.”

“Don’t worry love, we’ll figure out a way,” Ianto promised. He kissed Jack again; Jack responded enthusiastically and they were so focused on each other they didn’t see Owen, Tosh and Gwen come in the boardroom.

“Oi, get a room you two,” Owen loudly complained. The boys broke off their kissing, Ianto blushing and Jack as usual grinning.

“Just working up an appetite kids,” Jack replied. “Let’s eat!”

They all dished up food from the numerous choices and sat down to eat. The team gave Jack status on various cases and projects while they ate, but Jack looked puzzled. “What’s the status on the project you three, are working on?” Jack asked.

Gwen, Tosh and Owen exchanged glances before Gwen inquired, “What project do you mean, Jack?”

Jack leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “The one you discuss all the time until Ianto or I come near and then you break apart and pretend you weren’t discussing anything,” he replied raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, that project,” Gwen said smiling at Jack. Looking at Owen and Tosh she asked, “Should we tell him?”

“I don’t know;” Tosh said, “maybe we should do some more tweaking first.”

“Or we could analyze more data first,” Owen said playing along with the girls.

Jack was getting frustrated and said, “Stop playing around – what’s going on with this mysterious project of yours?”

Tosh, Gwen and Owen just looked at Jack for a moment until Owen smiled and said, “Alright, come down to the medical bay and we’ll show you.”

“Show me what?” asked Jack as they all stood up.

“Our project, it’s completely operational now,” Tosh said grabbing Jack’s hand and pulling to make him follow her through the door and down to the medical bay.

“You’re going to love it,” Gwen chimed in as she urged Ianto to hurry up.

Once they all arrived in the medical bay, Owen removed the covering off a new piece of equipment. Ianto and Jack both looked at it.  
“Didn’t that fall through the Rift a year ago?” Ianto asked.

“It did,” Owen agreed.

“I thought we decided it was broken,” Jack stated.

“It was, but the good news is we figured out what it was and we fixed it,” Tosh answered.

“Tosh, Gwen and I worked on it together; it’s an instant medical scanner,” Owen added.

“Okay,” Ianto said taking a closer look at the machine, “but we already have some medical scanners, so what’s so different about this one?”

“We’ll show you,” Owen replied. He walked over to a counter and retrieved two small cages. “Meet Laverne and Shirley.” The two caged rats were busy sniffing the air and checking out Owen’s fingers.

“Cute,” Ianto said. He liked all kinds of animals. “You’re not going to blow them up and make rat jam are you?”

Owen looked offended; “No, I’m not, and besides that was the sex alien’s fault! These two lovely female rats are going to help demonstrate our new medical scanner.” Owen put the two cages down and took the slightly smaller rat out of her cage. “I’ve already confirmed through normal methods that Shirley is not pregnant. The machine is currently calibrated to scan rats so all I have to do is place Shirley on the machine.” He placed Shirley on top of machine in an area designated with the outline of a human hand. “The machine is programmed to scan for pregnancy automatically and it will display the results on the opposing wall.” Sure enough, the machine lit up, scanned the small rat and a moment later it projected an image on the opposite wall displaying the outline of a rat and flashing the phrase: Pregnancy Test results Negative.

“So far, so good,” Jack admitted.

“Now I’ll put Shirley back in her cage and bring out Laverne.” Swiftly Shirley was returned to her cage and Owen now held Laverne in his hand. “First, I made sure Laverne wasn’t pregnant and then three days ago I let her do the dirty dance with another rat named Lenny for a day. Let’s see if the little lady is up the duff,” Owen said placing Laverne on the machine. It scanned the rat and displayed the results: Pregnancy Test results Positive. “So what do you think?” Owen asked.

Jack stared at the results on the wall. “It can tell the rat is pregnant after just two days?”

“Yes,” Tosh confirmed.

“Have you tested it more than once?” Ianto asked feeling hopeful but still wary.

“This is our twentieth test,” Gwen said. “The first four times it wasn’t quite right and we had to tweak the machine a bit, but after the sixth time it was pretty accurate and now the machine’s correctly diagnosing the pregnant rat each time.

“You believe it’ll be just as accurate with humans?” Jack asked holding his breath. He felt Ianto’s hand slip into his hand.

“It may not tell you when you’re only two days pregnant Jack, but it will definitely confirm you’re pregnant by your fifth day.”

“And all I have to do is put my hand on the machine?”

“Yep; I’ll have the machine set to scan for human pregnancy by default. All you have to do is come into the medical bay, put your hand on the machine and it will scan, determine you’re male and then scan for male pregnancy,” Owen confirmed.

Jack took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “You lot must have worked on this for hours; I’m . . . I’m overwhelmed.”

Ianto pulled Jack into a hug, kissed him and wiped the tears off Jack’s face. “Those are happy tears, aren’t they?” Ianto asked.

“Yep, happy tears this time,” Jack chuckled.

“Are you pleased Jack?” Gwen asked.

“Very, thank you so much,” Jack said as he hugged Tosh, Gwen and Owen. Ianto hugged them all too.

“I’m glad we could create the EPA device for you Jack,” Tosh said.

“EPA?” Jack asked.

“Early Pregnancy Alert,” Tosh quipped pointing to the letters they’d painted on the side of the machine.

“Cute name, I like it,” Jack said with a smile.

An alarm sounded interrupting their discussion; everyone headed up to the main floor and Tosh checked the monitors at her station. “We’ve got a Hoix loose down at the docks,” Tosh stated.

“Ianto and I will go capture it,” Jack said. Ianto helped Jack slip on his great coat and they headed out the cogwheel door together.

“Ianto, once we’ve captured the Hoix and taken it back to the Hub why don’t we go home early,” Jack suggested as he drove to the docks.

“Alright,” Ianto agreed. “Do you have anything particular in mind?” he asked resting his hand on Jack’s thigh.

Arriving at their destination, Jack stopped the SUV and turned off the engine. “I want to try and get pregnant again,” he said.

Ianto stroked Jack’s cheek tenderly. “You're sure you really want to try again?” Ianto asked.

“Positive,” Jack replied leaning over and kissing Ianto. Jack wanted more than a kiss but Ianto pushed him away.

“We’ve got to capture the Hoix first,” Ianto stated breathing heavily his tie slightly askew.

“Right,” Jack, also a bit out of breath, agreed; he opened the SUV door and got out. “The sooner we capture the Hoix, the sooner you can take me home and have your wicked way with me.” Jack slammed the door shut and trotted off to find the Hoix and Ianto was hot on Jack’s heels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from socalrose: Things are starting to look up; clear sailing ahead - right? Please share your comments, concerns or questions - they're really appreciated!


	19. Wake Up Call and Pack Proposal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unusual wake up call and a visit from some pack elders.
> 
> This Chapter rated Mature (for sexual content).

Lips on his shoulder and fingers on his stomach woke Jack up. "Aren't you tired from our baby making efforts last night?" Jack asked. After their last round he'd fallen asleep lying on his side with Ianto spooned behind him.

“I was, but I’m rested now,” Ianto replied before moving his lips slowly down Jack’s back. Ianto’s head disappeared under the duvet but his lips and hands told Jack where he was heading. “Why, are you too tired or sore from last night?”

Jack heard the muffled question and chuckled. “No, I’m fine, but can I at least get a coffee – oh, Ianto” Jack moaned as he felt his lover’s tongue against his crinkled opening. “You don’t play fair you bastard.” Ianto continued to lap and tease at Jack’s entrance for several minutes leaving Jack a quivering mess with a weeping erection.

Ianto moved up until his head reappeared from under the duvet. “Getting too hot under there with this thing on,” he complained pulling the duvet off both of them. “That’s better.” Grabbing the lube he poured some on his fingers and gently pushed one finger into Jack. “This is your morning wake up call Captain Harkness,” he teased nipping Jack’s shoulder.

“Lovely way to wake up,” Jack said turning his head and kissing Ianto. He raised his top leg to give Ianto better access and moaned when Ianto added another finger into him. “Please, Ianto I need you inside me,” he begged. He felt empty when Ianto’s fingers were withdrawn but the emptiness was replaced by Ianto’s cock slowly entering him until he was filled. Ianto thrust slowly in and out of his hot channel. “I’m not a delicate flower, Ianto – fuck me harder and faster,” Jack said.

“Such a demanding life mate,” Ianto replied. Grabbing Jack’s top leg for better leverage Ianto began pounding into Jack, his cock nailing Jack’s prostate every time overwhelming Jack with pleasure. “Come for me Jack,” Ianto said.

“Feels so good . . . so close . . . Ianto!” Jack shouted spilling his seed onto the bed clothes.

Watching his mate come undone and feeling Jack’s body clench around his cock brought Ianto over the edge. “Jack!” he yelled as he shot his seed into Jack’s body. They both laid there trying to catch their breaths before Ianto carefully pulled out of Jack and let go of Jack’s leg. Ianto rolled onto his back and stretched. “Time for a shower,” he said getting out of bed.

Jack smiled and yawned a bit and said, “I’ll be there in a moment.”

“Oh no, showering together just leads to shower sex and we’ll be late to work,” Ianto chided. “I’m showering alone and then you can shower.” He spotted Jack pouting and leaned over kissing Jack briefly on the lips. “If you behave today we can have shower sex when we come home tonight.”

“Promise?” Jack asked

“Yep,” Ianto replied heading towards the bathroom leaving a grinning Jack behind. They showered separately and were dressed and left their flat thirty minutes later.

They were the first to arrive at the Hub so Jack turned on the lights, powered up the computers and checked the Rift monitor while Ianto brewed a pot of coffee. “Any Rift activity last night?” Ianto asked as he handed Jack a mug of coffee.

“Slight fluctuations, but nothing came through,” Jack replied sipping his coffee. “Hmm, now I can face the world,” he added smiling at Ianto.

“Do you want to go try out the EPA machine?” Ianto asked.

“It’s too soon, but okay,” Jack agreed. They walked down to the medical bay. Jack handed his coffee mug to Ianto and then placed his hand on the machine. The EPA machine activated and scanned Jack’s hand. A moment later it displayed the results on the wall Human Male Pregnancy Test results Negative. Jack removed his hand from the machine and took his coffee mug back from Ianto.

“Let’s make this part of our morning routine; I’ll serve you coffee every morning after you’ve done the scan,” Ianto suggested. “We’ll know the minute you’re pregnant and pull you off fieldwork for the safety of the baby and the rest of the team.”

Jack smiled and nodded. “I’m so glad Tosh, Owen, and Gwen worked together and found this solution for us. It gives me peace of mind about trying to get pregnant again.” Grasping Ianto’s hand in his Jack added, “We have a great team.”

“They're more like family now, but don't tell Owen I said that,” Ianto replied. They heard the siren blare as the cogwheel door opened. “Sounds like they have arrived. Time to get to work; you have reports you need to read and sign and I have to go feed Myfanwy and the other guests.”

“Taskmaster,” Jack teased before they headed upstairs to greet the team.

By afternoon Ianto was working in the tourist information office, answering a few tourist questions and catching up on some paperwork. The Rift had deposited some harmless junk in Grangetown which Gwen, Owen, and Tosh had gone out to retrieve. He looked up when the door opened and smiled.  
“Excuse me; is this the secret entrance to Torchwood?” Harold asked as he walked in followed by Daffyd, the lead pack elder.

“Harold, good to see you and you too sir,” Ianto said greeting the two men.

“Oh come now Ianto, you’re old enough you can call me Daffyd,” the old man replied.

“Alright Daffyd; what can I do for you gentlemen this afternoon?” Ianto asked.

Leaning against the counter Harold replied, “If things aren’t too busy right now, Daffyd and I would like to meet with you and Jack. We’ve a proposal we’d like to present to you.

“No time like the present then,” Ianto replied. He activated his private comm line to Jack. “Jack, Harold and Daffyd are here. They’d like to meet with you and me and present a proposal to us. Do you want to meet us up in the Tourist Office?”

“No, bring them down to the conference room where we can be more comfortable,” Jack replied. Ianto was pleased Jack wanted to meet with them formally in the conference room; it was a sign of respect.

“We’ll be right down,” Ianto confirmed. “Gentlemen, Jack says he’ll meet us in the conference room.” Ianto pressed the red button and watched the two elders raise their eyebrows in slight surprise as the wall opened. Ianto locked the Tourist Office door and lead the two elders down into the Hub.

Walking through the cogwheel door into the main area of the Hub got a bigger response from the two lycans. “Amazing,” Daffyd said gazing around the Hub. “I remember when there were just caves here; the smugglers used to bring their goods through the caves. We even had pirates from time to time too. Torchwood put an end to that when they took over the caves and built this place.”

Ianto hadn’t thought about it before, but Daffyd was born long before Torchwood came into being. “You remember what it was like before Torchwood?” he asked.

Daffyd’s eyes twinkled. “Oh yes, Ianto, I do; the caves were always thought to be haunted and even lycans wouldn’t go wandering into the caves. Mysterious lights and creatures appeared and disappeared; sometimes people disappeared. Only greed spurred the pirates and smugglers to use the caves at all. Then Torchwood arrived to check into the mysterious sightings and they found something. I’m not sure what you call it but it spews things and beings from different times and places right into Cardiff. Torchwood built over the caves and started monitoring what came through and you’re still here,” Daffyd said with a smile.

“Yes, we’re still here,” Jack said. Harold and Daffyd looked up to see Jack coming down the stairs to greet them. “Harold, David it’s good to see you,” Jack said shaking each man’s hand in greeting. A screech drew their attention upwards. “Gentlemen, I’d like you to meet Myfanwy, our guard dog and mascot.”

“I told you there was a dinosaur flying around Cardiff,” Harold said to Daffyd.

“You’re right; Torchwood’s got a bloody dinosaur,” Daffyd said sounding very pleased.

“Let’s go to the conference room and hear about this proposal gentlemen,” Jack said. Once they were all seated Ianto served a round of coffee and put out a plate of chocolate biscuits. Jack showed restraint by grabbing only one biscuit. “What’s this proposal you’d like to discuss with us Harold?”

“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while and it’s finally coming together,” Harold said. “I’m planning on opening a security business called Pack Security, providing security guards to companies and for events in the city. Unemployment has hit some of our pack members rather hard and this would give several of our young lycans steady employment. Daffyd’s providing some financial backing and he had a brilliant idea which I think you’ll like. I’ll let Daffyd explain.”

“This is an opportunity to help Cardiff and Torchwood at the same time. What I’m suggesting is Torchwood and Pack Security work together. Security guards will work at various businesses throughout Cardiff as a normal part of business, but the guards will also keep an eye pealed for anything out of the ordinary. They’d be an extra set of eyes and ears for Torchwood; you’d train them what to look out for and how they are to report things to you. They wouldn’t try to handle things themselves, but simply report things to you,” Daffyd said.

“This all sounds interesting Daffyd, but why would you want to do it?” Jack asked politely.

“What’s in it for me you mean,” Daffyd said smiling. “Things are changing, Jack. Use to be enough that lycans stayed in the background and got on with their lives, but now I believe lycans should be more proactive in protecting Cardiff and protecting the pack. We can make a difference simply by being extra eyes and ears for Torchwood. The only thing ‘in it’ for me is peace of mind and bringing the pack into the 21st century – it’s a ‘win-win’ situation Jack."

Jack thought for a moment and then asked, “Ianto, what’s your opinion?”

“I think it could help us tremendously, but I’d want to talk to the rest of the team about the impact on Torchwood and what protocols we’d have to set up. Once we’ve got those things lined up we could do a pilot first with a handful of security guards and see how it goes,” Ianto replied. He truly liked the idea but knew they’d have to get the team’s buy in before proceeding.

“That’s settled then; Harold and Daffyd we’ll meet with our team and get back to you within 48 hours,” Jack said.

“Barring any emergencies,” Ianto added.

“Sounds good,” Harold replied. They all stood up and shook hands. Ianto and Jack escorted them out via the invisible lift, Daffyd and Harold both impressed with the ride and the perception filter.

Jack and Ianto watched the two lycans stroll off in the direction of the pub. “I really like the idea, Jack. This could help us a lot,” Ianto said.

“I agree, so we have to find a way to make this work,” Jack replied. “How long before the others return?”

“They should be back in twenty minutes. Why?” Ianto asked.

Jack pressed a button on his wrist strap to start the ride down on the invisible lift before wrapping his arms around Ianto’s waist. “Good; it gives me sometime to snog you silly,” he replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from socalrose: Think working with Pack Security is a good idea for Torchwood? Comments, questions, and suggestions are always welcome!


	20. Suspects

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter starts my take on Exit Wounds (with a smidge of Fragments). It will take a chapter or two, possibly three to resolve this story arc.  
> New OC: Anian (AN yan) Boy's name. Welsh origin. Meaning: Nature, temperament; power
> 
> This chapter rated PG-13. Comments, questions, and suggestions are always appreciated!

“Ianto, Anian has texted me again,” Tosh yelled out across the Hub’s main floor.

“Oh? What has he found this time?” Ianto asked walking over to Tosh’s work station. Anian was one of the Pack Security guards who had participated in piloting Pack Security’s joint venture with Torchwood. Anian, along with the other guards had done such a brilliant job of spotting alien activity and Rift debris, Torchwood and Pack Security announced the pilot a big success and had enlarged the program to include all lycan security guards who worked for Pack Security.

“He’s concerned about a stranger who’s been lurking about in an abandoned building on the outskirts of town,” Tosh replied.

“Strangers are always lurking around abandoned buildings in Cardiff,” Jack said as he joined Ianto and Tosh.

Looking at the rest of the report from Anian, Tosh spotted the description of the stranger and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. “That maybe true Jack, but how many strangers hang around abandoned buildings wearing a red Hussar's jacket and a samurai sword?” she asked.

Jack frowned and looked at the description. “There’s only one man who fits that description,” Jack said, “Why is he back?”

“And what is he doing at the abandoned building?” Tosh asked.

“I don’t suppose there’s any CCTV in the area?” Jack asked Tosh.

“None,” Tosh replied apologetically.

Jack thought for a moment. “Alright, tell Anian to keep an eye out but not to actively investigate. Tell him we think we know who it is and we want him to keep away from the suspect. When Anian gets off work have him come to the Hub and report,” Jack said.

“Will do,” Tosh replied turning back to her computer and sending a text message back to the security guard.

“I wonder why Hart is back,” Ianto muttered.

“Don’t know, but we’ll find out and deal with him,” Jack said.

Jack couldn’t focus on his work; his mind kept wondering what Hart was up to; his concern increased as the day wore on. Anian, who was still wearing his guard uniform, came straight from work to the Hub to report to Jack. “Anian, good to see you,” Jack said. “What’s happened since you sent us your first report?”

“Plenty,” Anian replied handing a thumb drive to Jack. “I’ve got some photos for you, sir, of the suspects.”

“Suspects? Let’s take this to the conference room,” Jack suggested. “Ianto, come join us.”

Jack, Ianto, and Anian went into the conference room and closed the door. Once they were seated Anian reported, “I followed my regular guard routine as instructed, just keeping an eye out for anything suspicious, and I got lucky.” Jack had inserted the thumb drive in the computer already and let Anian bring up the photos. “The original suspect came back and disappeared into the same building as before,” Anian explained, “and I was lucky to capture this.” A photo appeared on the screen. “Do you know him, Captain?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Jack replied. “He goes by the name Captain John Hart, and he’s trouble.” Jack stared at the figure in the photo.

“Well, he’s not alone,” Anian said. “This man teleported in and joined him.” Anian switched to another photo which showed a tall young man in strange grey garb. “Do you recognize this other man, Captain?”

A gasp escaped Jack’s lips as all the color drained from his face. “No, it can’t be,” he whispered.

“Jack, are you alright?” Ianto asked anxiously. Jack continued to just stare at the screen dumbfounded. Turning to the young guard Ianto said, “Anian, why don’t you go over and say hello to Tosh; I think Jack and I need a few minutes alone.”

“Sure Ianto; just holler when you need me,” Anian said. He wasn’t quite sure what was going on with the Captain, but Jack was obviously shocked at the appearance of the second man in the photo. Anian left quietly to go talk to Tosh leaving Ianto and Jack alone.

Touching Jack’s arm, Ianto asked, “Cariad, who’s the second man?”

“It’s Grey,” Jack answered hoarsely.

“Your brother – are you sure?” Ianto asked. Jack had told Ianto about Grey and how he’d lost Grey during an attack on the Boeshane Peninsula when Jack and Grey were children.

“Yes I’m sure,” Jack confirmed still staring at the man on the screen. “Why is Hart here? Why hasn’t Hart brought Grey to me?” he asked.

“I don’t know Jack,” Ianto replied. “Hart could be setting up some sort of trap for you; perhaps Grey doesn’t even know you’re here.” Ianto scooted closer to Jack. “Jack, look at me, Cariad.” Slowly Jack turned his eyes away from the picture on the screen and focused on Ianto. “Hart is here with Grey; neither has contacted you to let you know they’re here; and they’re skulking around an abandoned building. Tell me Jack, what’s your gut reaction?”

“Something’s wrong,” Jack admitted. “I don’t know why they’re here or what they’re up to.”

“I agree,” Ianto said. “So what should we do?”

“I . . . we need to find out what they’re up to before we approach them,” Jack said. Looking back at his brother’s photo Jack added, “I’m too emotionally involved in this matter to think straight, Ianto. You’re going to have to take the lead on this case and find out what they’re planning.” They both stood up. “I’m going to my office; I need some time alone.”

“Alright, Cariad,” Ianto said. He hugged Jack. “I’ll meet with the team right away and get things going. Promise me you won’t leave the Hub alone until we’ve figured things out, okay?”

“I promise,” Jack agreed. He leaned into Ianto’s embrace finding comfort in Ianto’s arms and unique scent. Finally he pulled away and went to his office closing his door behind him.

Pressing his comm, Ianto said, “Tosh, I need to meet with you, Anian, Gwen, and Owen right away. We have a problem.”

Owen, Tosh, Anian, and Gwen joined Ianto in the conference room. “What’s wrong, Ianto?” Gwen asked.

“Hart’s back,” Ianto answered. He had changed the photo on the screen back to the one of Hart. “Anian spotted him today hanging around an abandoned building and he’s not alone.” Ianto clicked the remote and the picture of Grey appeared on the screen. “Jack’s asked me to take lead on this investigation because of this man.”

“Who is he?” Owen asked.

“Jack’s brother,” Ianto replied. Looking at Anian Ianto said, “Anian, what I’m about to say is highly confidential and very personal to Jack, so no sharing this information without Jack’s consent.”

Anian nodded solemnly; “Of course, Ianto; mum’s the word as my tad would say,” he replied.

“Jack’s home world was attacked when he was a child. His father told him to take his little brother, Grey, and run while his father went to look for his mother. Jack grabbed Grey’s hand and ran, but somewhere in the chaos of the attack he let go of Grey’s hand and lost him. After the attack Jack looked for Grey, but didn’t find him among the injured or dead. Jack’s father had been killed during the attack but his mother survived. He searched for Grey for years and even joined the Time Agency to continue his search, but he never found him,” Ianto said.

“Bloody hell, Ianto,” Anian said trying to absorb all he’d just learned. “He searched all those years and now Grey just magically appears here on Earth with Hart – what the hell is going on?”

“I’m not sure,” Ianto replied honestly.

“Grey’s here and hasn’t contacted Jack; something’s wrong,” Tosh said gazing at the photo on the screen.

“Yeah,” Gwen agreed. “Maybe he doesn’t know Jack’s here. I’d say it’s Hart who’s up to no good. Probably trying to get even with Jack or trying to buy his way back into Jack’s heart by returning his brother to him.”

“Whoever took Grey probably abused him and treated him like a slave; am I right on that count Ianto?” Owen asked.

“Yes, unfortunately,” Ianto replied. “Jack said the creatures which attacked his colony did so to capture slaves. They are a cruel, heartless race and most people would prefer to die than live a life of continuous abuse.”

“So Grey, having survived a living hell, might blame Jack for letting go of his hand and, in his mind anyway, allowing the creatures to capture him,” Owen said thinking aloud. “Grey may very well be here for revenge on Jack.”

“We don’t know which of our guesses is correct; we need to find out before we try contacting Hart or Grey,” Tosh said.

“I agree with you Tosh,” Ianto said. “We’ll start with surveillance; Anian, I want Pack Security guards to keep an eye out for either Grey or Hart. Observe and report only. All reports should be sent to you, Tosh, Owen, Gwen, and me. You’re the Pack Security lead on this case.”

“You’ve got it Ianto,” Anian replied. He took out his iPhone and sent the alert out with pictures of Hart and Grey to all the Pack Security guards.

“Tosh, is there anyway to put cameras in that abandoned building without Hart or Grey knowing about it?” Ianto asked.

“Yes, I’ve designed some flying miniature robots. I can literally fly the robots into the building so we can see and hear what’s going on inside the building. I just need Anian to transport the robots to his work location and we can launch them from there,” Tosh said.

“I’ll be glad to take the robots over to work right now,” Anian offered.

“Great, let’s get the robots ready,” Tosh said. Tosh and Anian hurried out together.

“Gwen, can you check your police contacts and see if they’ve noticed anything odd going on?” Ianto asked.

“Sure Ianto,” Gwen agreed. “I’ll let you know what I find out.”

After she left the room Ianto turned to Owen. “Owen, can you check the hospitals? See if any strange accidents or deaths have occurred recently,” he asked.

“Will do,” Owen replied. “All this work will require additional caffeine of course,” he added.

Ianto managed to smile. “Of course Owen, I’ll make a fresh round in a moment,” Ianto said.

Owen stood up to leave. “By the way, keep an eye on Jack; no matter how this goes down, I’m afraid it’s going to tear him apart emotionally,” Owen said.

“You’re probably right,” Ianto replied. “Thanks Owen.”

“Just doing my job,” Owen said and headed over to his work station.

Ianto sighed; he had put everything into motion and now all he could do is wait. He went and made a fresh round of coffee for everyone. After he handed coffees out to Tosh, Anian, Gwen, and Owen, he poured coffee into a thermos and took it, along with two empty mugs up to Jack’s office. As he expected, Jack wasn’t at his desk, but the hatch to Jack’s bunker was open. Ianto left the mugs and thermos on Jack’s desk and climbed down the ladder into the bunker. Jack was sitting on the bed, elbows resting on his thighs and his hands holding his head. Ianto sat down next to him.

“Did you explain everything to the team?” Jack asked quietly without looking at Ianto.

“Yep,” Ianto replied. “I made Anian the Pack Security lead for this case, and he’s already sent out Grey and Hart’s photos to the other security guards so they can keep a look out. Tosh is setting up remote-controlled surveillance with Anian, Gwen’s checking her police sources, and Owen’s checking the local hospitals for any suspicious accidents or deaths. Now all we can do is wait.”

“The hardest part,” Jack muttered. They sat there quietly for a moment.

“I’m proud of you,” Ianto said.

“How can you be proud of me?” Jack asked. “I find out my brother is here in Cardiff and all I can do is fall apart,” Jack scoffed.

“You daft sod,” Ianto replied. “Jack, you realized you’re too close to this situation, and you handed the investigation over to me to run. It takes a strong leader to know when to step aside and let others lead. So yes, I’m bloody proud of you.” Ianto wrapped an arm around Jack’s waist. “Why don’t you get some rest right now; it’s probably going to be long days for a while. Rest while you can.”

“Alright,” Jack agreed. “Stay with me?” he asked. Ianto could see the deep sadness in Jack’s eyes.

“Of course, Cariad,” Ianto agreed. Jack stripped down to his boxers and lay down on the bed. Ianto removed all his clothes, morphed into his lycan form and laid down next to Jack. Ianto wrapped his strong arms around Jack’s chest and his tail draped across Jack’s legs. The double impact of Ianto’s lycan body against his and Ianto’s pheromones cocooned Jack in love; slowly he relaxed and fell asleep knowing his life mate was watching over him.


	21. A Slip of the Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack finds out what Hart and Grey are up to.
> 
> This chapter rated PG-13. Comments, questions, and suggestions are always appreciated!

“Any news from the police?” Owen asked Gwen as they walked to the conference room for the status meeting.

“Nothing even remotely strange reported yesterday or this morning,” Gwen replied sounding frustrated. “Whatever Hart is up to, he’s managing to keep under the radar for now.”

“Hopefully the others have something useful to report,” Owen said opening the conference room door for Gwen. “Or not,” he added spotting Jack and Ianto in each other’s arms. “Oi, should we come back later?” Owen asked. Gwen giggled as she watched Jack and Ianto pulled apart.

“No, no; I was just getting a cuddle from my life mate,” Jack replied with his usual grin while Ianto rolled his eyes. “Where’s Anian?”

“Anian and Harold will be here in a couple of minutes,” Gwen answered as she, Owen, and then Tosh walked into the conference room. Everyone helped themselves to coffee and biscuits Ianto had placed on the table.

“Sorry we’re late,” Anian said striding into the room with Harold. Everyone sat down. Ianto felt a bit uncomfortable sitting at the head of the table while Jack sat to his right, but Jack had insisted.

“Harold, thank you for joining us at short notice,” Ianto said. He’d briefed Harold on the situation yesterday and wanted Harold to come in as an advisor. Jack was pleased with Ianto’s decision.

“Always a pleasure to help whenever I can,” Harold replied.

“Right then; Tosh and Anian were you able to deploy the miniature surveillance robots?” Ianto asked.

“Yes, deployment went fine,” Tosh answered. “Anian did a great job setting things up near the abandoned building and I was able to fly the robots in undetected. There was no activity yesterday and most of today until we captured some footage about ten minutes ago. I haven’t had time to go through the footage, so I’m not sure what’s on it, Jack,” she added.

Jack and Ianto both realized the footage could reveal Hart was setting a trap for Jack using his brother, Grey, as the bait or worse. Jack closed his eyes, breathed deeply, opened his eyes and nodded at Tosh. Ianto and Jack held hands under the conference table supporting each other. Tosh hesitated briefly before she punched in a couple of commands on her keyboard and the conference room screen sprang to life. They all watched as Hart and Grey teleported into the warehouse. Hart held a bag in his hands and almost stumbled as Grey shoved him forward.

“Plant the last of the bombs in each corner of this floor and be quick about it,” Grey commanded.

“You don’t really want to do this Grey,” Hart said quietly.

“Don’t tell me what I want or don’t want,” Grey snarled as he backhanded Hart across the face. “Now get to work.”

Hart placed the last two bombs at opposite ends of the floor before returning to Grey.

Grey smiled and said, “Now that wasn’t so hard to do was it?” Grey slung his arm over Hart’s shoulders and everyone saw Hart flinch. “I’m so grateful you rescued me Hart, even though it was for your own selfish purposes. Now I can make my brother pay for all the torture and abuse I suffered as a slave because he didn’t protect me like he promised.”

“He searched for you for years Grey; I only found you by pure chance,” Hart tried to explain, but Grey grabbed Hart by the throat and slammed him against a wall.

“He may have searched for me, but he didn’t find me, did he?” Grey said. “But you Hart, you found me and I am truly grateful. In fact, I’ll let you live and even let you go once I have my hands on my brother. All you have to do is follow my orders; otherwise I’ll set off the explosive device I’ve attached to your wrist strap.” Grey mockingly kissed Hart’s forehead. “Now, we have to plant the rest of the bombs and put the signal devices in the sewers so I can control the Weevils. Torchwood and Cardiff will never know what hit them.” He released his grip on Hart’s throat. Grey punched some buttons on his Vortex Manipulator and the two men disappeared into the light from the rift opening.

Tosh quickly turned off the video. “I’m so sorry, Jack,” she said. 

Everyone looked at Jack. His eyes were bright with unshed tears and he felt absolutely gutted. “It’s all my fault,” Jack said. “Because I let go of his hand during the attack he was captured and tortured. And now he’s going to destroy Cardiff because of me. Maybe if I surrender to him, he’d leave the city alone.”

“Surrendering to your brother is not the solution Jack,” Ianto replied.

“Ianto’s right Jack,” Harold agreed. “Obviously the abuse Grey suffered as a slave has driven him mad and in order survive, his damaged mind transferred all the blame onto you letting go of his hand which we all know is utter nonsense. Surrendering to him won't stop him from attacking Cardiff. Don’t let your childhood guilt cloud your mind, Jack.”

Jack thought about it and had to agree with Harold and Ianto. “Alright,” he said, “I won’t do anything right now. Ianto, you’re in charge – what do we do?”

Ianto wanted to be alone with Jack and comfort him, but now was not the time. He squeezed Jack’s hand briefly to reassure his life mate before addressing the others. “We’ve got a couple of things in our favor right now; one, Grey and Hart don’t know we’re aware of their plans and two, they don’t know about Pack Security working with Torchwood. Here’s what we’re going to do . . .”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from socalrose: Sorry, to leave you hanging, but this was the right spot to end the chapter. What do you think of this chapter??


	22. Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Torchwood and Pack Security make preparations; will it be enough?
> 
> This chapter rated PG-13. Comments, questions, and suggestions are always appreciated!

“How’s Jack doing, Ianto?”  
Ianto looked away from his computer monitor, blinked a couple of times and looked at Gwen. They’d all been working non-stop since their meeting yesterday. “He’s holding together, but it’s hard on him,” Ianto admitted.  
“When this is all over, perhaps you and Jack should go away for a few days,” Gwen suggested.  
A small smile graced Ianto’s face; “I’ll keep it in mind, Gwen,” he replied. Gwen yawned and covered her mouth. “Hmm, I think it’s time for another round of coffee,” Ianto suggested.  
“That would be great,” Gwen admitted. “I can give you our status while you make the coffee.”  
They walked over to the kitchen. Ianto pulled out the coffee supplies and started brewing a new batch of coffee. Gwen leaned against the doorway and looked at her notes. “Tosh was able to scan the city and located the other bombs, fifteen in all. Jack and Anian have retrieved and disarmed all the bombs except for the ones in the abandoned building. We don’t want Hart and Grey to know we’re on to their plans, so we’ve left the abandoned building alone,” Gwen said.  
“Good,” Ianto replied. “What about the signal devices Grey mentioned in the footage we saw?”  
“Harold and Owen are leading Pack Security teams into the sewers and locating the devices using a scan program Tosh gave them and have recovered ten devices so far; Owen said there’s about eight more they have to remove,” Gwen replied.  
“Any sign of Hart or Grey?” Ianto asked.  
Shaking her head, Gwen said, “No, Jack thinks they’re resting and waiting now before they put the plan in motion.”  
“Sounds right,” Ianto agreed. “Have you talked to Rhys?” he asked.  
“He’s on a long haul to deliver shipments to three or four cities in Scotland and won’t be back until next week,” Gwen replied. “So at least I don’t have to worry about him, thank God.” Glancing at her notes again she added, “I told Andy we’ve had a tip about a possible terrorist attack and the police are on tactical alert. Harold sent out a mobile alert to pack members to pick their children up at school, take them home and stay indoors with their windows and doors locked. I wish we could inform the general public as well.”  
Ianto handed Gwen a mug of coffee. “I wish we could too, but we don’t want to cause a massive panic; warning the pack members is part of our agreement with Pack Security. The security guards can focus on helping us knowing their family members are safe. Hopefully Torchwood and Pack Security’s joint efforts have eliminated any threat to the general public.” He held out a plate to Gwen. “Biscuit?” he asked.  
“Ta,” Gwen replied taking some chocolate biscuits off the plate. “Your coffee and chocolate biscuits are a lifesaver, Ianto.”  
“Unfortunately, caffeine and chocolate will only keep us going a little while longer,” Ianto said. “In a couple more hours we’ll all need some sleep; I suspect whatever Grey and Hart have planned will begin tomorrow starting at the abandoned warehouse.”  
“I’m sure you’re right, Ianto,” Gwen agreed. Snatching a couple more biscuits she said, “Well I’ve got some more things to finish before I can get some rest; you know where you can find me.” She headed off to her work station while Ianto took coffee to Tosh.  
“How’s it going?” he asked as he placed Tosh’s coffee and biscuits on her desk.  
“Okay,” Tosh said typing a few more commands into her computer before picking up her coffee. “Just what I needed, thanks Ianto,” she said taking a sip of her coffee.  
“Any progress on the bomb Grey put into Hart’s wrist strap?”  
“Yes, Jack let me borrow his vortex manipulator and I’ve been able use it to calibrate this bracelet,” Tosh replied. She held up a copper-colored bracelet. “Just place this on Hart’s arm and the bracelet will activate and block any signal sent to Hart’s wrist strap preventing detonation.”  
“Why don’t you just let the poor sod blow up?” Owen asked as he and Harold arrived through the cogwheel door. “Lord knows he deserves it for what he’s done.”  
“True, but he might be standing next to someone I care about when it happens,” Ianto replied calmly. “Did you find all the signal devices?”  
“Our scans were clear after we removed the last eight, so I’d say we’re fine,” Harold said.  
“Great,” Ianto said. “I made a fresh pot of coffee, it’s in the kitchen – help yourselves.”  
“Did someone say coffee?”  
Tosh and Ianto looked up and saw Jack and Anian coming down on the invisible lift. “I hope there’s some left for me,” Jack added as the lift touched down.  
“Always,” Ianto replied. Jack walked over and Ianto hugged him. Ianto went and got Jack and Anian some coffee. "Let’s have a standup meeting and recap everyone's status," Ianto said. Quickly they shared their activities so everyone was on the same page.  
“Have we done everything we can to counter Grey and Hart’s plan?” Gwen asked.  
“Yes we have, unless there’s something we don’t know about,” Jack said quietly. “We could run “what if” scenarios but I don’t think that will help us at this point.”  
“I agree with Jack; we’ve done all we can to prepare ourselves for tomorrow,” Harold said.  
“I don’t think there’s anything else we can do this evening,” Ianto said. “Whatever is going to happen will probably start at the abandoned building sometime tomorrow. Everyone here should get some sleep or at least rest. I’ve set up some camp beds on this level you can use. Harold and Anian, you’re welcome to sleep here or go home, whichever you prefer.”

“We’ll stay here,” Harold said. Anian nodded in agreement.

“Ianto, I’m going to go home,” Gwen said. “I’ve run out of spare clothes here and would really love to sleep in my own bed.”

“Alright,” Ianto said. “Just keep your comms on all the way home and let us know when you’re safely home.”

“Will do; night all,” Gwen replied. She finished her coffee, grabbed her purse, and left.

“Tosh, please use the CCTV to follow Gwen’s trip home, just to be safe,” Ianto asked.

“Of course, Ianto,” Tosh replied. Slowly the group dispersed. Owen and Harold went to shower and change out of the clothes they’d worn while searching the sewers. Anian went out to his car to retrieve his overnight bag and Jack had gone up to his office.

Ianto collected the coffee mugs, took them to the kitchen and did the washing up. Doing the mundane task was calming. Task done, Ianto put the Hub into night mode, got confirmation from Tosh Gwen had made it home safely, accepted Jack’s vortex manipulator back from Tosh, said goodnight, and went into Jack’s office. “I’m going to bed,” Ianto said opening the hatch to Jack’s bunker.

Jack, who was pretending to read a report replied, “You go ahead Ianto; I’m going to catch up on this paperwork.”

Ianto pulled the paperwork out of Jack’s hands and set it down on the desk. “Jack, Cariad, I’m exhausted but I won’t sleep well without you. Tonight I need a cuddle from you – please,” Ianto said quietly. He took Jack by the hand and led him down into the bunker. They both stripped down to their boxers and got into bed lying on their sides facing each other. Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto and kissed him.

“Get some sleep Ianto,” Jack said softly.

Ianto kissed him back, snuggled closer to Jack and closed his eyes. It felt good knowing he didn’t always have to be the strong one. Their relationship was strengthening by the day and it was natural they would take turns caring for each other. Besides, sometimes the best way to help someone is by letting him help you. Ianto quickly fell asleep and a short time later Jack nodded off as well.

tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw

Jack placed his hand on the EPA machine. He wasn’t surprised when the machine displayed the results on the wall: Human Male Pregnancy Test results Negative.

“You okay, Jack?” Ianto asked as he arrived and handed Jack his first cup of coffee.

“I’m fine,” Jack replied taking the cup of coffee from Ianto. He took a sip and enjoyed the robust flavor. “At least it’s one less worry for today,” Jack added gesturing at the displayed results.

Ianto nodded in agreement. “We just need to get through today; once we’ve dealt with Grey and Hart we can go back to practicing,” Ianto said. They walked up to the main level and found Tosh, Owen, and Anian having their coffee. The cogwheel door opened and Harold walked in carrying some takeout bags.

“Breakfast is served,” Harold announced. “I’ve got bacon sarnies plus bananas, apples and orange juice.”

“Fantastic – I’m staring!” Owen said. Harold handed out the food and they all started happily munching away.

Jack managed to swallow a bite before asking, “When’s Gwen coming in?”

“She called me about five minutes ago and said she was just jumping into the shower,” Tosh replied. “She’ll be here in about twenty minutes.”

“Good, because we don’t know when –” an alert from Tosh’s computer interrupted Jack’s comment. She walked over to her computer and read the alert message.

“We’re getting a rift signal from the abandoned building,” Tosh announced.

“Time to find out what Grey and Hart are up to,” Jack said. He shoved the last of his bacon sarnie into his mouth and put on his coat which Ianto had already retrieved from his office.

“Harold and Anian, go back to your operations room at your company and have your special ops team on standby. Owen, Jack, Tosh, and I will go to the abandoned building as planned,” Ianto said.

“What about Gwen?” Owen asked.

“Call Gwen and tell her to meet us at the abandoned warehouse,” Ianto told Owen. Looking at his Torchwood and Pack Security teams he added, “You all know what to do; let’s go.”

They quickly arrived at the abandoned building and approached the building chatting away like they normally would just in case Hart or Grey were close enough to hear them. Once inside the building they moved towards a safe section of the building away from the bomb locations. Standing close together Tosh activated the alien portable cell she had brought, using it as protection against the bombs. The bomb explosions although terrifying didn’t harm them; once the dust settled they left the building only to discover the SUV missing.

“Bastard John's taken our SUV,” Owen said.

“Looks like he's driven it back to Torchwood,” Ianto replied looking at his PDA.

Gwen arrived in her own car a few minutes later and found her teammates safe but unhappy. “Sorry I’m late; got stuck in traffic. I see I missed the fireworks,” Gwen said.

Jack’s wrist strap beeped once. He hesitated to answer the call.

“Answer it Jack,” Ianto said placing his hand at the small of Jack’s back to reassure his mate.

“Here goes nothing,” Jack said as he answered the call. A recorded hologram of Hart appeared in front of Jack.

“Oh, déjà vu, or did I say that already? Hey team. Course, there might be a few less of you by now,” Hart’s image said. “Don't know if you liked my little gift. Course, you can't die. And with all that life, all that time, you can't spare any for me. Oh! Say hi to the family.” Hart pushes a button on his own wrist strap displaying a second hologram, this one of Jack’s brother, Grey, in handcuffs.

“Grey’s trying to make me believe he’s Hart's prisoner,” Jack said quietly.

“Been a while since you've seen your brother, eh, Jack,” Hart said, playing his part to the fullest. “OK, here's what's going to happen. Everything you love, everything you treasure, will die. I'm going to tear your world apart, Captain Jack Harkness, piece by piece, starting now. Maybe now you'll wanna spend some time with me.” The image of Grey blinked out and then Hart’s image blinked out as well.

Tosh, who had been monitoring the rift through her PDA said, “I'm getting readings of rift activity all over the city. Major rift flares at St Helen's Hospital, the Police Headquarters and the Central IT Server Station.”

Gwen’s mobile started ringing. Pulling it out of her pocket she sees it is Andy calling her; answering it she says, “Hey Andy.”

“Gwen, you've gotta get here right now! Some strange creatures tried to attack Police headquarters, but thanks to you we were ready and we managed to wrestle the creatures into a cell. Whatever these things are, they’re definitely more Torchwood’s cup of tea than ours; will you come?” Andy asked.

“OK, I'm on my way, all right?” Ending the call Gwen looked at Jack. “This is him, isn't it? Your brother Grey and Captain John or whatever he calls himself.”

“I’m afraid so,” Jack admitted. Looking at Ianto Jack says, “This is the part we didn’t know about; you’ll have to take care of whatever came through the rift openings Grey and Hart caused. “We need to drop Owen at the hospital; Tosh and you will go to the central server building and then Gwen will drop me off at the Hub before she goes to the police station.”

“I don’t want you facing them alone Jack,” Ianto said. “You know it’s a trap; it can’t be anything else.”

“Trust me, I know it’s a trap, Ianto,” Jack admitted. “But I need to go to the Hub alone as a diversion for Hart and Grey. I suspect the creatures that attacked the police station are Weevils; Grey must have captured and held some at the ready for a preemptive strike at the police. Tosh’s monitoring programs would have detected a widely dispersed signal, so they still don’t know we’ve disarmed their bombs and removed the signal devices from the sewers yet.” Jack grasped Ianto’s shoulders and looked deeply into Ianto’s eyes. “I need to buy you time to deal with whatever came through those rift openings and then you can come to the Hub. Hopefully, by the time you arrived I’ll have already slipped the bracelet on Hart blocking the signal to the bomb on his arm. Perhaps then he will help me subdue Grey; unless you’ve got a better plan?” Jack asked.

Ianto sighed. “No, I don’t have a better plan – dammit!”

“Hey, it’s going to be alright; we’ll get through this together,” Jack promised. He kissed Ianto and felt Ianto kiss him back, but they were interrupted by Gwen blowing her car horn. Owen was in the front passenger seat and Tosh was sitting in the back.

“Oi, you two, enough with the snogging; we’ve got work to do,” Gwen hollered out her car window. They both smiled at her.

“Work to do,” Ianto said looking at Jack.

“Work to do,” Jack agreed as they ran to the car together.


	23. Taken Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Ianto thought they had things under control - they were wrong.
> 
> This chapter rated PG-13. Comments, questions, and suggestions are always appreciated!

Jack walks through the Tourist office down to the cogwheel door and pauses; taking a deep breath he waits as the door rolls open. His ears are assaulted by the pop tune, “I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper," blaring throughout the Hub main floor.

Hart is standing on the upper level waving a scarf above his head, grinning manically. “Come on! Sing along! It's our song!” he yells at Jack.

Jack glares at Hart; he just wants to shove the damn bracelet on Hart’s arm to prevent the bomb from going off and then deal with Grey. Frustrated, Jack yells back, “We don't have a song. And if we did have a song, it wouldn't be this song.”

Hart drops the scarf and pouts. “You're no fun!” he replies. Hart raises his hand and flips open his wrist band, presses a couple of buttons, and the music stops.

“Thank you,” Jack replies.

“I've been here quite a while, what kept you?” Hart asks starting down the spiral stairs.

“We all survived. You know, if you're gonna set an explosion, you need to be more efficient.” Jack says.

Waving a hand dismissively Hart replies, “Oh, them, they were just prototypes, had to test out a theory. How are they all, the little team?”

“What do you want?” Jack asks. He slips his left hand into his coat pocket and pulls out the bracelet Tosh had created.

“I want you to know that I love you,” Hart replies.

“Funny way of showing it,” Jack retorts.

Turning his back to Jack, Hart places his hands on a table. “No, seriously; you have to understand. I really do love you,” Hart replies. Swinging around, a machine gun in each hand Hart opens fire unloading several rounds into Jack’s chest. Finally the firing stops and Jack falls dead into the pool at the base of the sculpture tower, the signal-blocking bracelet sinks into the water. Hart walks over and looks down at him. “Because this... is gonna get nasty.”

“About time you showed up,” Andy said as Gwen walked up to him.

“Sorry Andy, I got here as soon as I could,” Gwen replied. “Any fatalities?” she asked eyeing the janitor cleaning some blood off the floor down the hall.

“No, thank God. We were prepared thanks to your warning,” Andy answered. “Funny thing is these creatures targeted the top four leaders here at the station. Two were severely wounded, but they’ll survive.”

“Good. Where are the creatures now?” Gwen asked.

In a confinement cell; come on I’ll show you,” Andy said. They went down to the cell. Gwen slid the viewing window and looked inside. “What are they?” Andy asked.

“Weevils,” Gwen replied. She pulled a canister out of her jacket. “You don’t mind if I sedate them, do you?”

“That’s fine with me. Please tell me you’re going to take them off our hands,” he pleaded.

“Sure, as long as you let me borrow a prisoner transport vehicle,” Gwen countered. She pulled the pin on the sedative gas canister, dropped it into the cell door food slot and closed the slot.

“Done,” Andy agreed.

Owen found out his target was a Hoix and made quick work of subduing it.

Ianto and Tosh moved quickly past server stacks striding towards the originating point of the rift flare. It was easy to spot because it was clearly marked by the three robed men holding scythes threatening to kill Ianto and Tosh. Three gunshots rang out and the threat was eliminated.

Hart transported Jack with him to the Cardiff Castle’s roof after Jack revived.

“What the hell are we doing here?” Jack demanded.

“This is a good view,” Hart replied. Jack lunged at him but Hart sent an electrical charge through Jack’s wrist strap knocking him to his knees. “I told you, no struggling.”

“I can make things right with you,” Jack said when he could finally talk again, trying to buy time for his team.

“You don't understand. You can't ever make this right.” Hart pushed some buttons on his own wrist strap. “Attention Torchwood employees!” Hart’s voice announced over the team’s comms. “Evening all! Now, stop what you're doing.”

“Jack, what’s going on – are you OK?” Gwen asks.

“Jack can't come to the comms right now, but if you leave a message, I'll be sure and pass it along,” Hart replies.

“What've you done to him?” Gwen asked.

“No, no, wrong question. You should be asking what am I about to do to you,” Hart said.

“Put Jack on right now!” Ianto demanded.

“Eye Candy! That was so masterful, so bossy; so basically powerless. Get up to the roofs of your buildings. Quickly now, spit spot,” Hart replied.

“No,” Ianto said.

“What do you mean no? Seriously Eye Candy you’re going to miss the fun or do I mean carnage? I get them confused. Are you running yet?”

“There’s no reason to run Hart, because we know Grey’s plan. The bombs were disarmed and the signal boxes you left in the sewers were turned off,” Ianto explained.

“You can’t have known; it’s not possible,” Hart said fearfully.

“It’s true,” Jack shouted, making it possible for his team to hear him. “The bombs and signal boxes were disabled; I tried to tell you at the Hub. I even had a bracelet which would prevent the bomb on your arm from exploding but you shot me and it fell into the pool at the base of the sculpture tower.

“No, no, no – Grey’s going to kill me!” Hart exclaimed. “We’ve got to leave – now!”

“Stop – get off me!” Jack yelled and then there was silence.

“Jack!” Ianto shouted. “Tosh, what’s happened?”

“I'm tracking a huge rift flare over at the castle. It's been generated by the rift manipulator at Torchwood,” Tosh said. “Ianto, I’m so sorry; Hart’s taken Jack away; somewhere, sometime else.”

“Damn it!” Ianto shouted. He wanted to tear someone apart, preferably Hart, but Hart was gone and he had taken Jack.

“Ianto, what do we do?” Gwen asked.

Ianto closed his eyes and breathed deeply; he had to focus so he could get Jack back.

“Ianto?” Tosh called quietly.

He opened his eyes and gazed at his best friend. “We do what needs to be done,” he replied. Pressing his comms he opened a channel to Pack Security. “Anian, you there?” he asked.

“Yes Ianto, we’re here, ready to go,” Anian replied.

“I need you to break your team into two-man units and send them to St Helen's Hospital, Police Headquarters and the Central IT Server Station,” Ianto said pulling a small flat disc from his pocket. He activated it and tossed it down by the dead attackers. “Owen and Gwen activate locators and leave them next to the subjects to be retrieved. Gwen, I’m assuming your subjects are Weevils?”

“Yes they’re Weevils and they are sedated,” Gwen said.

“Okay, and Owen your subjects are,”

“Just one stupid Hoix, also sedated,” Owen said.

“Right; Tosh and I had to kill our subjects. Anian, tell your men what they’re retrieving. While they’re retrieving the subjects, you and Harold head to the Hub and we’ll meet you there.

“What about Jack?” Anian asked.

“Jack’s been taken by Hart and moved somewhere in time and place,” Ianto replied. “No idea where Grey is, but our priority is getting Jack back and then we’ll deal with Hart and Grey,” Ianto said. “Let’s go people.”

Ten minutes later Gwen walked through the cogwheel doors her gun in hand.

“You took your time,” Hart said.

Gwen swings and points her gun at Hart. “On your knees!”

“Honestly, it's just sex, sex, sex with you people!” Hart replies.

Pumping her gun Gwen says, “You’ve got twenty seconds to tell me where Jack is or I’ll shoot you.”

“He's buried alive, somewhere beneath this city. I came back to tell you.”

Before Gwen could say anything Hart was grabbed and slammed into a wall by Ianto in full lycan mode, his suit in tatters from morphing suddenly. “You buried Jack alive?!” Ianto roared.

Hart was so terrified it took him a moment to realize it was Ianto holding him against the wall. “Eye Candy – you’re a lycan! Love the furry look.”

Ianto grabbed Hart by the throat and squeezed. “I should tear you apart right now for burying my life mate,” he said, his voice low and deadly.

“I had no choice, Grey would have killed me. I can help you find him,” Hart said in spite of Ianto cutting off most of his airway.

“Ianto, let go,” Owen said. He’d just arrived and found Ianto throttling Hart. He knew he couldn’t physically force Ianto to release Hart so he got in Ianto’s line of vision. “Hart can help us find Jack, but only if you don’t kill him.” Owen touched Ianto’s arm and Ianto finally looked at him. “You can always kill him later. Let him live for now until we get Jack back.”

Ianto stared at Owen and then Hart; looking back to Owen Ianto nodded once and released Hart who slid down the wall coughing and gasping for air. “You’re right Owen, I can always kill him later,” Ianto said.

“You can always kill him later – what kind of argument is that?” Hart hoarsely asked Owen.

“It worked didn’t it? Stop complaining,” Owen replied. “Now tell us how to find Jack.”

“No one is finding Jack.” They all turned towards the voice; it was Grey standing by the entrance to the cells, pointing a gun at them. “Drop your weapons!” He waited until they were disarmed before continuing. Grey looked at Hart puzzled. “I let you go. I gave you one trip, you could have gone anywhere.”

“Question of honor,” Hart replied.

“You have no honor,” Grey retorted. Looking at the others he said, “So this is Torchwood, Jack’s little kingdom. Well, you ruined my plans, but your king is buried and dying over and over.” Grey focused on Ianto. “Hart, you didn’t tell me Jack’s sex toy was a lycan.”

“I didn’t know he was a lycan,” Hart said quietly.

“Jack is my life mate; I’m no one’s sex toy,” Ianto said bristling at the insult.

Grey scowled; “Bad enough Jack abandoned to me to years of torture. Now he’s immortal and mated outside of his species. Does he eagerly spreads his legs like a whore and let you fuck him? Did he agree to bear your pathetic offspring? Your kind shouldn’t be allowed to breed and I can make sure you don’t get a chance to sire any fur balls,” Grey said aiming his gun at Ianto.

“No!” Gwen, Tosh and Owen shouted as one. Grey pulled the trigger but the shot went wild missing everyone as Anian and Harold in their lycan forms rushed Grey and wrenched the gun out of his hand.

“Let me go!” Grey screamed, struggling against his captors’ hold.

“Not bloody likely,” Harold said, tightening the hold he had Grey in waiting for Anian to place the handcuffs on the man’s wrists. “You tried to blow up my pack and my city, plus you’ve hurt Jack and tried to kill Ianto. I don’t like you at all, Grey.”

“I’ll kill you all! Let me go!” Grey shouted.

Anian secured the handcuffs to Grey’s wrists. “He’s cuffed Ianto, what do you want us to do with him?” Anian asked.

“Search him for weapons then throw him in a cell,” Ianto replied. “I don’t have time to waste on him; I have to rescue Jack.”

Grey continued to thrash and struggle until Owen injected him with a strong sedative. Harold and Anian took him down to the cells.

Turning back to Hart Ianto asked, “How do we find Jack?”

“Grey threw Jack into the grave he made me dig. Before I buried him I tossed a ring into the grave and it landed on Jack’s chest. Grey asked me what it was and I told him the ring had sentimental value. Actually, it’s a transmitter guaranteed for five millennia through three ecological permalayers,” Hart explained. “Tosh, I need you to run a trace for an etheric particle signal NME transmitting at 200 betacycles so we can find Jack.”

Tosh ran to her work station and started a search for the signal. “I’ve got a signal – it’s coming from Bute Park!”  
“Well let’s go!” Gwen said.

“Wait Gwen,” Ianto called out stopping her progress towards the door. “I want you and Tosh to stay here.”

“Why?” Gwen and Tosh both asked.

“I plan to take Owen, Harold, and Anian with me. It’s obvious why Owen should be there; Harold and Anian can help me dig out Jack as quickly as possible. The other thing is we don’t know what Jack’s condition may be and I know he wouldn’t want you to see him that way,” Ianto explained.

“Ianto, the ring I put into Jack’s grave has a signal beacon plus a weak stasis field. It should give him some protection,” Hart explained.

“I hope you’re right about that Hart – for your sake,” Ianto snapped at him. “Tosh, Gwen, please don’t fight me on this,” Ianto asked.

“Alright, Ianto,” Tosh replied understanding Ianto’s need to protect Jack and them.

“Okay, Ianto; so is there something we can do here while we wait for you to come back?” Gwen asked.

“Thank you,” Ianto said grateful they understood. “The Pack Security teams should be here shortly with the Weevils, the Hoix, and the dead bodies. I need you both to supervise them and then station them throughout the Hub as a precaution just in case Grey has left any more surprises. And put Hart in a cell for now.”

“You got it; come on Hart,” Gwen said handcuffing and leading a subdued Hart down to the cells.

“I’m just going to change out of this ruined suit,” Ianto said.

“While you’re changing clothes, I’ll set up a tracking PDA so you can find Jack’s location,” Tosh replied.

Ianto went to Jack’s bunker and morphed back to human form. Quickly he stripped out of the ruined suit and pulled on jeans and a hoodie. Ianto returned to Tosh’s work station joining Owen, Harold, Anian, and Gwen who were waiting with Tosh. Taking the PDA from Tosh Ianto asked Harold, “Did Owen tell you about the plan?”

Harold nodded, “Yes and we’re ready to go; everything we need is in the SUV.”

“Good. Let’s go get Jack,” Ianto replied, striding to the cog wheel door. “We’re coming for you, Cariad,” Ianto thought as he strode out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from socalrose: Did this version of Exit Wounds work for you? Please tell me what worked or didn't work for you in this chapter. Next chapter Torchwood and Pack Security rescue Jack!


	24. Come Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grey has done the unthinkable - will Ianto get his life mate back?
> 
> This chapter rated PG-13. Comments, questions, and suggestions are always appreciated!

Owen drove the SUV through the deserted and darkened Cardiff streets to Bute Park and followed the weak signal to spot near old oak tree. The full moon bath the scene with moonlight. “This is where we dig,” Owen said. “What the hell are you three doing?”

“Taking our clothes off,” Ianto replied as he, Harold, and Anian continued to disrobe.

“I can see that, but why are you doing it?” Owen said in frustration.

“So we can do this,” Ianto answered by morphing into his lycan form. Harold and Anian also morphed into their lycan forms.

“We’re physically stronger in our lycan forms,” Harold explained as he grabbed a shovel and started digging. “Plus we’ll know when we’re getting close because we’ll be able to smell Jack’s scent.”

“Makes sense,” Owen agreed. He left the three lycans digging up the grass and dirt and went back to the SUV to grab his medical kit and emergency blankets from the SUV.

It took hours but finally they could smell Jack’s scent and knew they were close. Shovels were discarded and they scooped away the soil with their hands.

“I see his shoes,” Anian said as he kept digging.

Ianto dug faster in his section and soon uncovered Jack’s chest and face. He whined sadly when he saw Jack’s mouth was full of dirt and his still handcuffed hands looked like he had tried to claw his way out. His clothes though filthy were surprisingly intact. The three lycans quickly finished clearing the dirt off Jack and lifted his body out of the grave. Anian spotted the ring John had told them about and picked it up from the dirt.

Owen had them turn Jack on his side and he cleared the dirt out of Jack’s mouth while Ianto removed the handcuffs off Jack’s wrists and the shackles off his legs. Harold and Anian started filling in the grave with dirt.

How long before he comes back?” Ianto asked Owen.

“No idea; could be hours, could be days. I have nothing to compare this to, Ianto” Owen replied. “Let’s get Jack back to the Hub.” Harold helped Ianto and Owen carry Jack over to the SUV and lay him on the back seat. Ianto and Harold retrieved their clothes, morphed back into human form and quickly dressed. Harold got into the front passenger seat and Owen started the SUV. Ianto climbed into the back seat, gently lifted Jack’s head and moved him a little bit so Jack’s head was lying in his lap.

“Anian is going to finish shoveling all the dirt back into the hole,” Harold said. “Once I’ve helped you carry Jack into the Hub I’ll drive back in my car and pick Anian up.” Turning slightly in his seat Harold held the ring out to Ianto. “Hart told the truth about the ring; Anian found it in the grave.”

Ianto took the ring from Harold and put it in his pocket. “Fat lot of good it did; Jack still choked to death,” Ianto said. He gazed down at Jack’s face and stroked the back of his hand against Jack’s cheek. “He’s cold as ice, Owen.”

Owen glanced in the rearview mirror at Ianto and realized Ianto was just barely holding together emotionally. He needed something, a positive task to help him cope. “When we get back to the Hub, we can get Jack in a warm bath and get him cleaned up,” Owen suggested. “A bath won’t hurt him and waking up all nice and clean in a bed without the scent of dirt in his nostrils will help him physically and emotionally,” Owen replied.

“It’s a good idea, Owen; thank you,” Ianto said.

It didn’t take them long to get back to the Hub. Ianto and Harold carried Jack’s body down to the shower/locker room while Owen briefed the girls on how they found and recovered Jack.

“I’m going to help Ianto get Jack cleaned up and then we’ll transfer him to the recovery room,” Owen said. “Is everything set up?” he asked.

Tosh nodded; “everything’s set up, Owen,” she replied. “Give us a shout if you or Ianto need anything.”

“Will do,” Owen replied heading off to the medical bay grabbing some items he thought they might need for Jack. Owen walked down to the shower/locker room and saw Jack’s body was on a gurney; Harold and Ianto had managed to pull off Jack’s great coat in one piece but they were cutting the rest of the clothes off.

Harold’s mobile beeped once. He took it out of his pocket and checked his message. “I need to go and pick up Anian,” Harold said.

“Go ahead; I can help Ianto with Jack,” Owen said. Harold nodded and left. Owen and Ianto finished cutting away Jack’s clothes. Once they were done, Owen said, “Ianto, I want to scan Jack’s body just to make sure there’s nothing we’re missing.”

“Alright, I’ll start the water running so it’s heated,” Ianto replied.

Owen scanned Jack’s body using the Bekaran scanner making sure there wasn’t any more dirt clogging his mouth and airways and found everything was clear. He had Ianto turn Jack on his side and rinsed Jack’s mouth out with a diluted mouth wash to get rid any dirt left from his burial. “Right, now we can get him in the bath,” Owen said.

“I’m going to morph into my lycan form,” Ianto said while pulling off his clothes. “It will make it easier to lift Jack and lower him into the bath. You might want to at least take off your shirt so it doesn’t get wet.”

“Yeah that’s probably a good idea,” Owen agreed pulling his own shirt off.

Ianto morphed into lycan form and lifted Jack up from the gurney with relative ease and carried him over to the bath. Owen helped Ianto lower Jack into the water, Jack’s neck and head resting against the edge of the tub. Ianto shampooed Jack’s hair first and then washed Jack’s body removing all traces of his burial. He found comfort in this simple task. Bath completed, they lifted him up from the tub and laid Jack down on the gurney which Owen had covered in fresh towels.

“Tosh and Gwen have set up a recovery room just down the hall,” Owen said as he helped Ianto dry Jack off and slip some boxers on him.

“That will be easier than trying to get him into his bunker,” Ianto said. He slipped his own clothes back on while Owen pulled his shirt back on. They used the gurney to wheel Jack down the hall to the recovery room, put Jack in the double bed and covered him with a duvet. Carding his fingers through Jack’s hair, Ianto said, “Now all we can do is wait.”

tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw

Owen and Anian accompanied Tosh down to the cells to bring food to Hart and Grey. Owen smiled at the orange jumpsuit Hart was wearing. He’d been both surprised and pleased when Tosh told him she’d ordered Pack Security to do a strip search of both Hart and Grey and then given them the orange jumpsuits to wear. Grey’s cell was another level down because he kept screaming and shouting and was frightening Janet, the resident Weevil.

They stopped at Hart’s cell first. “About time someone came down to see me. It gets lonely down here,” Hart said.

“Love the new look,” Owen said. “Although orange is not the best color for your complexion.”

“Not my idea mate,” Hart replied. “Did you find Jack? Did the ring work?”

“We found Jack and dug him up,” Owen said. “Jack’s mouth was full of dirt; he’d choked to death.”

Hart paled at the news. “I’m sorry, I thought the stasis field would kick in quickly,” he said.

Before Owen could reply Tosh jumped in saying, “What’s done is done. We wouldn’t have found Jack if you hadn’t tossed the ring into the grave, so thank you for that. Here, we brought you something to eat.”

“Step back from the door,” Anian instructed. He had a taser out and wasn’t taking any chances. Hart stepped back and Anian opened the cell door. Tosh set the tray on the floor and quickly backed away allowing Anian to close and secure the door once more.

The trio turned to leave but was stopped by Hart’s voice. “Will you let me know when Jack’s revived . . . please?” he asked.

Tosh turned and looked at Hart. “Yes, we’ll let you know when Jack’s revived.”

“Thanks.”

They left Hart and went down to the next level of cells. Grey was pacing his cell as they approached. “Look, it’s tainted Torchwood and pathetic Pack Security,” Grey snarled. “Have you dug up my brother, the lycan slut?”  
“Don’t you talk about Jack like that!” Anian shouted. “He’s a better man than you!”

“Ignore him Anian; he’s deliberately baiting us,” Tosh said. 

Anian reigned in his emotions. Tosh was right about Grey taunting them. Under control once more, Anian said, “We have food for you, step away from the cell door.”

Grey smirked but stepped away from the door as instructed. The door slid open and Tosh once again stepped forward and put the food down on the floor. As she stepped away Grey lunged, but Anian was faster, morphing into lycan form and slamming Grey against the rear wall of the cell his arm across Grey’s throat. “Think you’re clever? Think you’re going to escape? Not going to happen. Torchwood and Pack Security will see to it. Only reason you’re still breathing is because the decision whether you live or die rests with Jack and Ianto.” Anian let go of Grey and backed out of the cell keeping Grey in his sights at all times. Once he cleared the cell Owen pressed a button and the cell door slid shut and locked. Tosh, Owen, and Anian left the cell block.

“Are you alright Tosh?” Anian asked as they walked back upstairs.

“Yes, I’m fine – thanks to you,” Tosh said smiling at Anian.

“Thanks Anian, I hate to think what would have happened if he got his hands on Tosh,” Owen said.

Anian smiled. “You’re welcome,” he replied. “Torchwood has done so much for our pack. We have jobs thanks to Jack and all of you, and we’re protecting ourselves and Cardiff. In our eyes, you’re all family now and the pack takes care of family.”

Tosh smiled brightly. “I’m a member of the Cardiff lycan pack? Cool!” she said. They all chuckled.

tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw

Gwen walked quietly into the recovery room carrying a tray. The lights were low but she could clearly see the bed. Jack was lying on the bed and Ianto was right next to him. Gwen put the tray down on the table near the bed and walked over to Ianto. Touching his arm lightly she asked, “Any sign he’s coming back?”

“No,” Ianto replied carding his fingers through Jack’s hair.

“He will come back, he always does,” Gwen said confidently.

“He shouldn’t have to come back; I should have prevented this all from happening,” Ianto said.

“That’s bollocks and you know it,” Gwen replied. “We did everything possible, but no one could know all the angles, all the what if’s. Ianto, you found Jack, you brought him back. Now you’re dealing with the hardest part – waiting. Now come on; I’ve brought you something to eat. You’ll be no use to Jack if you get sick.”

Ianto knew Gwen was right so he went and sat at the table and managed to eat a sandwich and drink some water. Although Gwen had hoped Ianto would eat more she didn’t push it. Instead she picked up the tray and left. Ianto crawled back into bed, spooned against Jack and started whispering quietly to Jack again hoping to help Jack come back.

Harold arrived in the Hub early the next morning to check on Jack and Ianto. He looked into the room and saw Ianto sitting on the side of the bed holding Jack’s hand.

“Nothing yet?” Harold asked gently.

Sadly Ianto shook his head. “Nothing. I’ve tried holding Jack, talking to him, singing to him, kissing him, I even cursed at him in Welsh . . . no response. I’m not sure he’s coming back this time, Harold,” Ianto said.

“You mustn’t give up, Ianto. It’s only been two and a half days,” Harold replied. An idea popped into Harold’s mind. “Ianto, all the things you’ve tried, you’ve been in your human form, haven’t you?”

“Yes – why do you ask?”

“Jack’s your life mate Ianto; call to him in your true form. What have you got to lose?” Harold asked.

“Nothing to lose and everything to gain,” Ianto admitted. “Thank you Harold.”

“You’re welcome Ianto,” Harold replied. “I’ll make sure you’re not disturbed.” Harold left closing the door behind him.

Ianto shrugged out of his jogging bottoms and morphed into his lycan form. He crawled into bed with Jack and wrapped his arms around his mate. He started his howl soft and low, slowly building it, pouring his longing and his love into it. How long he howled he wasn’t sure, but he called his life mate’s soul until finally Jack gasped air into his lungs and his heart started pumping blood through his veins. “I’ve got you Jack, it’s alright, I’ve got you,” Ianto said. Jack stopped flailing but still trembled in Ianto’s arms. Ianto saw incomprehensible hurt and sadness in Jack’s eyes.

“Ianto; Grey . . . he made Hart bury me alive . . . my own brother,” Jack managed to say after a few minutes.

“I know, Cariad, but you here with me, you’re safe now,” Ianto said as Jack started sobbing. “I’ve got you, Jack, it’s alright now, I’ve got you now.” Jack had come back to him and that was all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from socalrose: Sorry I put Jack through such a horrible thing, being buried alive, but I always wanted to see Ianto rescue him and what would happen afterwards. 
> 
> What did you think of this chapter; did anything tug on your heart strings? I'd really love to hear from you. Pretty please.


	25. Lycan Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 25 is actually a companion piece to Chapter 24 occurring during and shortly after the same time frame of 24. Harold explains Ianto's Lycan Song to his Torchwood teammates.
> 
> This chapter is rated PG.

“Do you hear that?” Owen asked.

Gwen looked up from her report and replied, “Hear what?”

“I’m not sure; like a low rumbling,” Owen said.

They stopped and listened. Slowly the rumbling rose in pitch and volume. Tosh came up from the archives carrying some folders. “Is someone howling?” she asked.

“That’s what it is, someone’s howling,” Owen agreed.

“You don’t suppose it’s Ianto – maybe something happened,” Gwen said. Owen and Gwen got up so suddenly they knocked their chairs over. Tosh dropped her files and all three ran to the recovery room. Harold had morphed into his lycan form and was barring the doorway.

“What’s happened?” Owen demanded to know.

“Why is Ianto howling?” Tosh asked.

“Is Jack gone?” Gwen asked.

“Jack’s not gone, but he’s not revived yet either,” Harold replied. “Ianto’s tried every other way of reaching Jack and now he’s trying in his lycan form.”

“I’m not sure I understand; you mean Ianto’s howling is his way of calling Jack?” Tosh asked.

“It’s his lycan song – open your ears and hearts and listen to it,” Harold said. They all fell quiet and listened. Ianto’s lycan song was deep, rich, and melodious. Tosh smiled sadly. “What do you hear?” Harold asked her.

“Love, I hear Ianto’s love and longing; I understand now. It’s beautiful,” Tosh replied her eyes bright with tears.

Gwen wiped a tear away from her own face and asked, “Do you think Jack can really hear it?”

“I think anything is possible when you’re in love,” Harold replied.

“How long is he going to howl like that?” Owen asked.

“As long as it takes,” Harold replied shrugging his lycan shoulders.

“Guess I’ll be using ear plugs so I can hear myself think then,” Owen muttered.

“Is there something wrong with your eyes Owen?” Harold asked. “They look a bit watery.”

“I’m probably just allergic to your bloody lycan fur is all,” Owen snapped back. “Come on ladies, back to work.” Owen started walking back to his work station thinking no one would see him wipe a tear off his face with the back of his hand, but they all saw him do it.

“You’ll let us know when Jack’s revived?” Gwen asked Harold.

“The minute I know,” Harold agreed. Several hours later he heard Ianto stop his lycan song followed by Jack sobbing. Harold opened the door and saw Jack was alive and being comforted by Ianto. Quietly he closed the door and went to tell the others.

Jack’s sobs eventually wound down to hiccups and then just sighs. Ianto reached over to the table, grabbed some tissues and handed them to Jack. Jack wiped the tears from his face and blew his nose. Ianto morphed into his human form and kissed Jack gently on the lips. “Feeling a little better?” Ianto asked.

“A little,” Jack admitted. He looked around the room puzzled. “Where are we? I don’t recognize this room,” he asked as he drank some water to clear his throat.

“Tosh and Gwen set up this recovery room for you,” Ianto explained. “It was easier to bring you here to recover rather than try to get you down into your bunker.” 

Jack nodded in agreement. “Is everyone else alright?” Jack asked.

Ianto pulled Jack closer and Jack rested his head on Ianto’s chest. “Everyone’s fine Jack; you’re the only casualty and I’m so sorry I failed to protect you,” Ianto said.

Jack looked up at Ianto. “Don’t you dare blame yourself for what happened, Ianto; none of us knew my brother was so insane he’d bury me . . . alive.” Jack said his eyes bright with fresh tears.

“Alright, I won’t blame myself,” Ianto agreed brushing the fresh tears from Jack’s face.

“Did Grey and Hart get away?” Jack asked.

“No, Hart came back to help us find you,” Ianto said.

“The ring he tossed on to my chest,” Jack murmured remembering what happened.

“The ring had a tracking device and generated a weak stasis field,” Ianto explained.

“And my brother?” Jack asked so quietly Ianto barely heard him.

“He broke into the Hub and tried to stop us but Harold and Anian tackled him and put Grey in a cell for us,” Ianto explained.

“I guess I should get dressed and go see him,” Jack said reluctantly.

“No, Grey and Hart can wait another day,” Ianto replied. “We are getting dressed and going for a walk in the fresh air and then I’m taking you home. No arguments.”

Jack hesitated.

“Look, we’ll go for a walk, hold hands and I’ll even buy you an ice cream,” Ianto promised. He desperately wanted to give Jack some space and some peaceful time before he had to confront his insane brother.

“With sprinkles?” Jack asked.

Ianto chuckled. “Yes Jack, ice cream with sprinkles. Now let’s get dressed,” Ianto said getting out of bed and fetching their clothes.

They quickly dressed, but Jack was a little surprised when Ianto held up a leather bomber jacket for Jack to put on. “Sorry, but your great coat hasn’t been sent to the cleaners yet, so we have to make do with this.” 

Jack slipped on the jacket; it fit well and he could smell Ianto’ familiar scent on it. “This is yours?” Jack asked.

“Yeah, I use to wear it all the time when I was at Uni,” Ianto replied. “Let’s go let the others know you’re back and then we’ll head out.”

 

They walked up to the Hub main level together. Harold, Gwen, Tosh, and Owen were all there. “Glad to have you back Jack,” Harold said giving Jack a quick hug. Gwen and Tosh pulled Jack into a group hug. 

“We missed you,” Gwen said. 

“You should have seen Ianto in action,” Tosh said. “Nothing was going to stop him from getting you back.”

“I know,” Jack replied quietly. “I missed you too.” He hugged them back and looked over at Ianto, Harold, and Owen talking. “Hey, my ears are burning; are you talking about me?” Jack asked.

“Yes we are, Jack,” Owen said looking Jack right in the eyes. “I want to check you over, but Ianto’s insisting on taking you home.”

Jack let go of Tosh and Gwen and walked over Owen. “Physically I’m fine, Owen; I just need to get out of here and see the sky and spend time with my life mate. I promise you can check me over tomorrow.”

Owen really wanted to check Jack over, but he also understood how desperately Jack wanted to get away from the Hub, Grey, and the whole situation just for now. “Alright, you can go, but promise me you or Ianto will contact me the moment you start feeling strange or ill.”

“I promise we’ll call,” Jack said while Ianto nodded his agreement.

“Go on and clear out of here you two before I change my mind,” Owen said.

“Thanks Owen; we’ll be back first thing in the morning,” Jack said.

“Let’s go, Cariad,” Ianto said grasping Jack’s hand. They waved goodbye and left via the invisible lift. 

“You sure Jack’s alright?” Gwen asked after Jack and Ianto left.

“Physically he’s probably alright or least 95% alright,” Owen said. “I’m more worried about him psychologically, because I can’t even begin to imagine what being buried alive by his own brother did to his mental and emotional balance. But, Ianto’s with him and if anything crops up I’ve no doubt Ianto will call us in a heartbeat.”

“Sooner or later Jack will have to face what’s happened to him, but right now it’s more important Jack reconnects with Ianto,” Harold said. “The bond with his life mate will make a great deal of difference in his recovery from this trauma.”

“So, it’s like you said earlier,” Gwen said, “With love anything is possible.”

Harold smiled at Gwen; “It is indeed, Gwen, it is indeed,” he replied.

Jack ate his ice cream while he and Ianto strolled in the sunlight around the waterfront. Ianto smiled at Jack’s enjoyment of the ice cream. This break, this moment away from the madness would help Jack face tomorrow. “What do you want to do next, Jack?” Ianto asked.

Jack thought for a moment and then replied, “Go home, order Chinese takeout, watch some Marx brothers’ comedies and snuggle with you.”

“Sounds lovely, let’s go home,” Ianto said.


	26. Hard Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack has to face Hart and Grey and make some very hard decisions. 
> 
> This chapter is rated PG-13.

Jack spent the evening eating Chinese food, snuggling on the couch with Ianto, and watching the Marx brothers’ movies. After viewing, A Night at the Opera, Jack yawned. “Right, time for bed,” Ianto said shutting off the telly. Jack didn’t resist when Ianto pulled him up from the sofa. Five minutes later they were both in bed, Jack fast asleep in Ianto’s arms.

Ianto instantly knew the minute Jack got out of bed. He waited a moment in case Jack just went to the bathroom but he didn’t return. Ianto got up and walked to the living room. Jack was standing by the large front window dressed in pajamas bottoms gazing at the bay. Ianto wrapped his arms around Jack’s waist from behind. “Bad dream?” he asked softly kissing Jack’s shoulder.

“No,” Jack replied. “I did sleep for a while, but I woke up, thought of Grey and . . .” Jack shrugged his shoulders leaving the thought hanging.

“It’s almost dawn; why don’t we get dress, go to your favorite rooftop and watch the sun come up together. Afterwards we can go have breakfast,” Ianto suggested.

“I’d like that,” Jack replied. They showered and dressed quickly. A short walk later they were on the roof watching the sunrise and Cardiff come to life for another day.

“Because of me this city was almost blown up,” Jack said quietly.

Ianto made Jack look him in the eyes. “Because of your planning and helping set up Pack Security with Harold, you saved Cardiff from the bombs. The only one who suffered is you.”

Jack saw the pain in Ianto’s eyes. “You suffered too, Ianto. Grey hurt both of us. What am I going to do about Grey?” Jack asked. Ianto pulled Jack into a hug.

“I don’t know Jack,” Ianto admitted. “But we’ll figure it out together.” He kissed Jack sweetly. “I’m starving let’s get some breakfast.” Jack and Ianto had breakfast at Casa Celi café and took some pastries to the Hub for the others.

They entered the Hub through the invisible lift. Tosh, Gwen, Harold, and Anian hugged Jack before Owen practically dragged Jack down to the medical bay to check him over. A few minutes later Owen admitted, “Everything physically is fine, but I want you to tell me the minute you feel claustrophobic, short of breath or panicked in anyway.”

“I will,” Jack agreed. “Right now I want a status meeting in the boardroom in ten minutes,” he added.

Ianto placed the pastries out on the boardroom table and prepared coffee. Tosh, Gwen, Owen, Harold, and Anian arrived together sitting down, choosing pastries to eat and accepting mugs of coffee. Ianto noticed Jack’s hand trembled a little when he took the blue and white striped mug from Ianto. He sat down next to Jack placed his hand on Jack’s thigh and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Jack gave him a small smile before turning to the group. “I want to thank everyone for doing a tremendous job saving Cardiff and for rescuing me. I couldn’t have come back without your help,” Jack stated.

Owen as usual came right to the point, “What are we going to do about Hart and your brother?” he asked.

“I’m not sure;” Jack admitted although he and Ianto had talked about it over breakfast. “I need to talk to them first and then I’ll decide.”

“You do know that Grey tried to kill Ianto – don’t you?” Gwen asked. Ianto glared at Gwen but she knew it was important Jack knew what had almost happened to Ianto.

Jack looked stunned. “Grey tried to kill you?” Jack asked hoarsely looking at Ianto.

“Harold and Anian stopped him Jack – I’m alright, I’m here, Cariad,” Ianto replied. Ianto cradled Jack’s face in his hands kissing him right in front of everyone removing the anguished look off Jack’s face and calming him.

“If you two are done snogging can we get back to business?” Owen asked. Everyone chuckled at Owen’s comment.

Jack held Ianto’s hand tightly in his and turned back to the group. “Owen, what’s Grey’s mental state?” Jack asked.

Owen hesitated and then finally said, “I’m sorry Jack, there’s no doubt about it; he’s criminally insane. Grey’s just too damaged from the torture he’s endured and he’s a danger to everyone. There’s no safe place we can send him to for treatment on this planet.”

Jack knew Owen was right but the truth hurt so badly. “I can’t . . . I can’t kill him; he’s my brother in spite of what he did to me and what he tried to do to Cardiff,” Jack said.

“We can’t keep him locked up forever Jack,” Owen countered. “He may be insane but he’s very clever and sooner or later he’ll escape and try to finish what he started.”

“Why don’t we freeze him?” Gwen suggested. “At least until you can get hold of the Doctor and then he could take Grey to an off world hospital where he could get the treatment he needs.”

“What Gwen is suggesting may be the best we can manage for now Cariad,” Ianto said.

“I know,” Jack admitted running his free hand through his hair in frustration. “Still I need to talk to him and see for myself.”

“What about Hart?” Tosh asked.

“Grey wouldn’t have known Jack was here if Hart hadn’t told him,” Gwen said.

“That may be true, but we wouldn’t have found Jack so quickly if Hart hadn’t come back to help us,” Ianto said reluctantly.

“I’ll talk with Hart first and decide what to do,” Jack replied. “Bring Hart up here; Ianto and I will talk to him alone.”

Hart wasn’t sure where the two guards were taking him. They escorted him into the boardroom and then stood outside in the hallway. He spotted Jack sitting at the table with Ianto beside him.

“It’s good to see you Jack,” Hart said smiling at him. “I knew they’d find you with the ring I gave you.”

“It’s because of you Jack was buried in the first place,” Ianto growled standing up from his chair. He still wanted to rip Hart apart.

“No Ianto, don’t,” Jack said placing a restraining hand on Ianto’s arm. Jack stood up and walked over to Hart. Hart looked small and pathetic in the orange jumpsuit. “Why did you go and find Grey?” Jack asked. “Did you think I’d fall in love with you because you found my brother?”

Hart looked at Jack and could see the pain and suffering mirrored in his eyes. “Yeah, I thought maybe if I found Grey and brought him to you, you’d realize how much I still love you,” Hart replied.

“But it didn’t turn out the way you thought it would, did it? Grey’s criminally insane and forced you to do his bidding to get his revenge. We stopped his plan though, at least he didn’t destroy Cardiff, but he buried me alive and almost killed Ianto,” Jack countered as he slowly backed Hart into the wall. “I forgive you for what you did to me,” Jack said before slugging Hart hard in the face. “I don’t forgive you for almost getting Ianto killed. Ianto, tell Tosh to find a rift opening for Hart to use as an exit from this planet. I mean it Hart, leave this planet and never come back.”

“I’m sorry Jack,” Hart said. “I know that doesn’t mean much coming from me, but I truly am sorry I brought all this misery down on you. If I had known Ianto was a lycan and you were life mates I would have never tried to find Grey.”

“Not buying your excuse Hart,” Jack countered. “I made it clear the last time you were here I didn’t want to be with you ever again. You should have respected my wishes. There’ll be no third chance – you got it?”

Hart’s shoulders slumped; “Yeah Jack I’ve got it,” Hart replied. The guards took Hart back to his cell to change back into his own clothes and prepare to leave.

“Do you really think this is a wise move?” Ianto asked. He wrapped his arms around Jack and pulled him close. Jack looked at Ianto.

“We both know Grey got the drop on Hart, tortured him and forced him to do all those things and he did help save me. He knows I’ll never be with him again. There’s nothing left for him here. I just want him gone,” Jack admitted resting his head on Ianto’s shoulder.

“We’ll do it your way Jack,” Ianto agreed. “Are you ready to see Grey?”

“No, but we’ve got to finish this,” Jack replied. Ianto called Harold over the comms and told him to bring up Grey. The guards brought Grey up to the boardroom in handcuffs. Once they brought him into the room they positioned themselves outside the boardroom like they had before when they brought up Hart.

Grey looked defiantly at Jack who was standing at the head of the table with Ianto behind him to his right. “I see the lycan dog dug up his favorite bone,” Grey sneered. Walking right up to Jack, he asked, “How did it feel dying over and over Jack, choking on the good old Cardiff dirt?”

Ianto just wanted to wipe the smug look off of Grey’s face, but he had to let Jack handle this situation his own way.

Jack had paled, but was standing tall looking right back at his brother. “I forgive you, Gray,” Jack said.

Grey balked for a moment before shaking his head. “You forgive me? No, you fucking bastard, you don’t get to make the grand gesture and have a happy ending. You ruined my life,” Grey hissed through clenched teeth.

“I've forgiven you, I gave you absolution, now do the same for me,” Jack replied.

“I prayed for death. Those creatures, the things they did to me, because of you, the favorite son, the one who lived, who'll always live. The only strength I have is my hatred for you,” Grey said.

“And I spent over a thousand years buried as atonement; no light, no sound, no human touch – totally alone and isolated. But I guess that’s not enough for you, is it?” Jack countered. He was starting to realize how truly insane his brother was and it saddened him.

Grey got into Jack’s face. “I begrudge you everything. I want to rip it all from you, to leave you screaming in the dark. I will never absolve you. All of it, it's your fault!” Grey screamed.

Before Ianto could step forward Jack had spun Grey around and clamped a cloth over Grey’s mouth and nose. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you, but I can’t let you endanger the family I have left,” Jack said as tears rolled down his face. Grey struggled but couldn’t avoid inhaling the medicine in the cloth and he slowly passed out. Jack slid to the floor sobbing and holding his brother in his arms.


	27. Not Near Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just when they thought it was over . . . . 
> 
> This chapter is rated PG-13.

tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw

Ianto kneeled on the floor next to Jack, picked up the medicine-soaked cloth from where Jack had dropped it and checked for Grey’s pulse; it was strong and steady. “I’ll get the guards to carry him down to the medical bay and Owen can prepare him for cryogenic storage,” Ianto said.

“No, I want to do it – will you help me?” Jack asked.

“Of course I will, Cariad,” Ianto replied. He went and opened the boardroom door, told the guards he and Jack were taking Grey down to the medical bay and dismissed them. Ianto helped Jack pick Grey up and they slowly carried him down to the medical bay.

Hart was sitting on the couch near Tosh’s work station and had heard the yelling and sobbing coming from the boardroom. He knew it was Grey and Jack. All the pain and suffering Jack was going through was his fault and for once in his life he felt guilty. Eventually the sobbing ceased and Hart watched Jack and Ianto carry Grey down the stairs.

Owen spotted them too and called out, “Is he injured?”

“No, just unconscious,” Ianto answered.

“I want you to prepare him for cryogenic storage,” Jack quietly said. He was clearly devastated and torn up about putting Grey in cryogenic storage. Owen simply nodded and trotted down to the medical bay ahead of them to get things ready.

Jack and Ianto carried Grey into the medical bay and laid him on the exam table. Ianto watched as Jack lovingly leaned over and kissed Grey’s forehead.

“I need to check Grey’s vital signs Jack,” Owen said calmly.

Jack nodded, stepped away from Grey’s side and gave Owen room to work. He quickly checked Grey over. “He’s okay Jack, just unconscious. It’s going to take a few minutes to prepare him, so why don’t you go splash some water on your face and get cleaned up? I’ll call you when everything’s ready.”

“Alright; thanks Owen,” Jack replied. He turned and started climbing the stairs.

“Keep a close watch on Jack, Ianto,” Owen said. "I don’t know how much more he can cope with before he totally breaks down.”

“I don’t know either,” Ianto replied sadly. “Call me when everything is ready and I’ll bring Jack down to say goodbye.”

“Will do,” Owen said starting to go through the checklist for the cryogenic storage process.

Tosh, who was scanning for rift activity so Hart could leave, activated her comms. “Owen, what’s going on?” she asked.

“Jack’s decided to place Grey in cryogenic storage for now and I’m getting Grey prepped,” Owen replied. “Have Gwen, Harold, and Anian comeback from checking the Weevil alert yet?”

“Not yet; they had to retcon some bystanders who saw them take down the two Weevils in the chip shop. No one was hurt at least,” Tosh replied.

“That’s good news. Is Hart behaving?” Owen asked.

Tosh turned to check on Hart and found him sitting quietly with his hands still handcuffed behind his back. “Yes, he’s behaving and as soon as I can find a rift opening we’ll send him on his way,” she replied.

Owen checked Grey’s vital signs one more time before walking over to the storage cabinet to retrieve the IV solution he’d need to inject into Grey’s bloodstream to prevent cell damage to Grey’s body during cryogenic storage. He hanged the IV bag and tubing on a wheeled IV pole and pushed it over to the exam table. Owen released Grey’s hands from the handcuffs, looked over at the IV pole, reached for the IV tubing and turned back to the exam table to feel Grey’s hands closing around his throat.

Jack splashed some water on his face to wash away the tearstains and help him calm down.

“Here,” Ianto said handing Jack a towel to dry his face off.

“Thanks,” Jack replied taking the towel and drying his face and hands off. He handed the towel back to Ianto who hung it up on the towel rack. “Do you think I’m making the right decision about Grey?”

“Yes I do. Keeping him in a cell would be too much torment for you; cryogenic storage is more secure and offers a chance to get Grey help in the future,” Ianto answered truthfully. He hugged Jack and kissed gently on the lips. “Let’s go see if Tosh had any luck finding a rift opening for Hart’s exit from Earth.

They climbed up the ladder into Jack’s office just in time to hear a crash and Tosh shout, “Put the scalpel down – now!” They both ran out into the main hub area, guns drawn.

Grey was standing just outside the entrance to the medical bay, one arm wrapped around Owen’s chest while he held a scalpel against Owen’s throat. He’d handcuffed Owen’s hands behind his back rendering him defenseless. “All of you put your guns down or I’ll slit his throat!” Grey screamed.

Ianto and Tosh glanced at Jack. Jack nodded once; “Okay, okay, look we’re putting our guns down; don’t hurt him,” Jack said calmly, placing his gun on the floor and holding out his empty hands. Tosh and Ianto also placed their guns on the floor.

Grey smiled. “Look at that, Owen, seems the team cares whether you live or die; isn’t that sweet,” Grey said kissing Owen’s cheek. Owen closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath to keep from throwing up. He knew Grey would slit his throat at any moment. “Oi, lycan,” Grey shouted at Ianto, “kick your gun over to me – carefully.” Ianto kicked the gun so it slid over the floor to Grey. “Good. Now Owen unless you want me to nick your neck you’re going to bend down with me to retrieve the gun; nice and slow,” Grey ordered. They both slowly bent their knees to get Grey’s hand near the gun. Once Grey looked down to grab the gun all hell broke loose.

Ianto morphed into his lycan form and both he and Jack rushed Grey who grabbed the gun and got off two wild shots before another figure appeared out of nowhere, grabbed both of Grey’s hands, pulled him away from Owen, and both figures disappeared down the stairs.

Jack, Ianto and Owen were all on the floor, stunned by what happened. Next thing they knew, Tosh was kneeling next to them calling their names.

“Owen, look at me,” Tosh said as she opened a first aid kit, pulled out a large field dressing and applied it to the wound on Owen’s jaw. “Are you hurt anywhere else?” she asked.

Owen quickly assessed himself. “No, only the wound from the scalpel,” Owen replied as Tosh taped the dressing into place. “Ianto, Jack, are you alright?” he asked.

Ianto sat up on the floor and morphed back into his human form. “He got me in the arm,” Ianto replied looking at the growing blood stain on his upper left arm. “Jack, you still with us?” Ianto asked turning to his mate. He helped Jack into a sitting position on the floor.

“I’m still here,” Jack asked grimacing in pain and looking at his leg. “I’ve been shot – again.”

Owen scooted over to Jack taking the first aid kit with him. “Tosh, get a bandage around Ianto’s wound while I check Jack and then we’ll find out what the hell happened.”

Tosh tore open Ianto’s shirt sleeve. “Looks like the bullet went through his upper arm; I don’t think it hit an artery or the bone,” she replied.

“Good to hear; get a dressing on it for now and I’ll clean it out later,” Owen replied. He was busy checking the gunshot wound on Jack’s thigh. “You’re not so lucky, Jack. The bullet missed your artery, but it’s lodged against the bone; I’ll have to remove it surgically,” Owen explained.

“Just put a field dressing on it for now,” Jack said obviously in pain. “We need to get down to the medically bay and see what happened to Grey and whoever tackled him.”

“Tosh and I will check it out,” Owen replied. “You and Ianto stay up here – doctor’s orders.”

“I don’t have a choice, do I?” Jack muttered.

“No, you don’t,” Owen agreed. Owen didn’t feel really well himself, but there was no way he was letting Jack and Ianto go downstairs first. Tosh helped Owen stand up and handed him a gun.

“Ready?” Tosh asked.

“Yeah; let’s get this over with,” Owen agreed. Tosh and Owen their guns ready made their way downstairs to the medical bay. The bodies were at the bottom of the stairs, unmoving, but they took no chances because Grey could be faking it. Grey lay on top of the other body. Owen cautiously rolled Grey off the other body and felt for a pulse in Grey’s neck. Grey was dead; probably a broken neck from the fall down the stairs. Owen turned to the other body surprised to see it was Hart. “I thought he was handcuffed to the couch upstairs,” Owen said.

“He was,” Tosh replied as she joined Owen in the medical bay.

“Please, those handcuffs weren’t even a challenge,” Hart replied. “Oh dear, that is definitely not good,” he added staring at the scalpel embedded in his abdomen.

“Shit,” Owen exclaimed as he dropped down next to Hart. He opened Hart's red jacket to find blood pouring out of the wound. “Tosh, hand me my kit!” They worked frantically together for several minutes before Owen admitted it was too late. “Sorry, Hart,” Owen said looking Hart right in the eyes.

“Yeah, well shit happens,” Hart replied. “My own damn fault; the whole thing was tits up from the start.”

“Owen?” a voice said softly from the stairs behind them. Tosh and Owen turned to find Jack standing on the stairs leaning heavily on both Ianto and the handrail.

“I thought I told you two to stay upstairs,” Owen said.

“Couldn’t wait any longer – I had to know . . .” Jack replied and then his eyes landed on Grey’s body.

Owen sighed. “I’m sorry Jack; Grey’s dead; and Hart is dying,” he said quietly.

Ianto helped Jack get down the stairs and sat him down on the floor next to Grey. Jack pulled Grey into his arms and held him.

“He didn’t suffer Jack; death was instantaneous,” Owen said quietly. Jack nodded acknowledging he heard Owen’s explanation but he just sat there holding Grey; silent tears rolling down his face.

“Hey, Eye Candy,” Hart said getting Ianto’s attention. Hart coughed and some blood dribbled out of his mouth.

“What do you want?” Ianto asked although there was no hostility in his voice.

“This was all my fault; I just wanted Jack back. Believe it or not I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused,” Hart said. “All I could do to make it right was help you save Jack and prevent Grey from killing you upstairs just now. Take care of Jack; give him some happiness. He deserves it. Wish I could have hung around to watch you have hot lycan sex, but . . .” Hart coughed once more and was still.

Owen felt for a pulse before closing Hart’s eyes. “He’s gone,” Owen said.

“At least he tried to fix things in the end,” Tosh said.

“Not near enough,” Ianto said. “Call the others and let them know what’s happened. We’ll need everyone’s help putting things right.” Ianto went and sat down by Jack and wrapped him in his arms trying to comfort him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw
> 
> Note from socalrose: Grey and Hart are dead, but what about Jack? Can Ianto and the team help him move on?
> 
> Comments and questions are always appreciated.


	28. There Still Be Dragons?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I didn't originally intend this scene in my story, but the plot bunnies have whispered an amusing thought in my ear so here's a short chapter. 
> 
> This chapter is PG-13.
> 
> tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw

Gwen made sure all the civilians, except for the lycan shop owner, drank a good cup of tea laced with Retcon while Harold and Anian put the sedated Weevils in the boot of the SUV. 

"Are you sure they'll be alright, Gwen?" the shop owner asked.

Gwen smiled at the shop owner and said, "They'll be right as rain when they wake up Timothy. Just tell him some teenagers came through and messed the place up and they'll assume that is exactly what happened."

"Close enough to the truth anyway," Timothy agreed. He put his broom away, clean up complete, went behind the counter and washed his hands. "I can't thank you enough for capturing those smelly creatures and protecting my customers and my business. Let me give you and your team some fish and chips on the house at least."

"Tim, that's not necessary," Gwen began to protest, but Tim held up his hand.

"I know it's not, but I want to so please just let me, alright?" Tim replied.

"Okay," Gwen said smiling. "Besides, truth be told, I'm rather hungry," she admitted.

Tim handed Gwen the takeout dinner a few minutes later just as Harold and Anian walked into the shop. "Our guests are secured in the SUV and we're ready to go," Harold said.

"Tim's given us our dinner as thanks," Gwen said holding up the bags she was carrying.

"Kind of him; thanks Tim," Harold said taking some of the bags from Gwen so she didn't have to carry them all. They left the shop and headed towards the SUV.

"Harold, mind if I ask you a question?" Gwen asked.

Harold smiled; Gwen loved to ask him questions about lycans and how the Cardiff pack interacted with the rest of society so he'd gotten quite use to her questions. "Not at all Gwen, what do you want to know?"

"Well, I was thinking," Gwen said.

"You know it's dangerous for you to think Gwen," Anian teased.

"Sod off, Anian," Gwen replied good naturedly, rolling her eyes at Anian. "You're like the baby brother I never wanted." Anian and Harold chuckled at her remark.

"Anyway, I was wondering since lycans exist, is it possible Welsh dragons exist too?" she asked.

"I've never seen one," Harold replied honestly.

"Oh," Gwen replied sounding disappointed.

"But I know they existed; Dafyyd saw some when he was a child. Of course it was hundreds of years ago," Harold said. "Plus they're been sightings on and off for decades up in Snowdonia."

"So they might still exist," Gwen said. She liked the idea of Welsh Dragons still living in Wales. "But how can they hide from people all these years?" she asked.

"Do you really think only lycans morph between their human and true forms, Gwen? A dragon could be standing right next to you in a crowd and you'd never know," Harold replied with a grin.

Gwen stopped in mid-stride as Harold's explanation sunk in. "Bloody hell - I never thought of that!"

"You've worked with Torchwood for a while now, Gwen. Time you started thinking outside the box," Harold said chuckling as he opened the driver door for Gwen.

"True enough," Gwen agreed. They climbed into the SUV and Gwen was putting it in gear when she heard Tosh call her over the comms. Activating her comms Gwen said, "Hey Tosh, we've just finished up and we're heading back to the Hub."

"Get back here as fast as you can," Tosh said. "Grey got loose, held Owen hostage and everything's gone wrong."

"Shit! Is anyone hurt?" Gwen asked. She sped off towards the Hub with lights flashing.

"Grey shot Jack and Ianto and injured Owen with a scalpel, but they'll recover. Hart stopped Grey and they're both dead," Tosh explained.

"Bloody hell," Gwen muttered. "We'll be there in ten minutes Tosh," she replied. "This is not good, Harold."

"You're right," Harold agreed. "Jack and Ianto are going to need our help and we'll be there for them."


	29. Need to Reconnect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two days after events in Chapters 27 and 28; everyone's worried about Jack. 
> 
> This chapter is rated PG-13.
> 
> tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw

“He’s not eating,” Owen said as he walked over to Ianto’s desk.

“You’re right, he’s not eating,” Ianto replied as he continued to enter information into his computer.

“Has he slept at all since Grey died?” Owen asked.

“No he hasn’t,” Ianto admitted.

“What about you, Ianto?” Owen asked observing how tired Ianto looked.

“I’ve eaten and gotten some sleep, but I can’t leave Jack here alone,” Ianto admitted.

Owen glanced over to Jack’s office where Jack sat slumped in his chair staring at a container on his desk. “It’s not healthy for Jack to just sit there staring at Grey’s ashes; he’s depressed and I’m going to declare him unfit for duty, put him on antidepressants at least temporarily and force him to take medical leave.”

“Don’t do that just yet Owen,” Ianto asked. He was also very worried about Jack, but he was positive Owen’s approach would backfire and make the situation worse. “Jack will fight you over forced medical leave. I’m calling in someone who has influence over Jack; someone who knows the art of persuasion.”

“Did you call the Doctor?” Owen asked. “Do you think he’ll come?”

“No, I called someone more important to Jack,” Ianto replied as the siren and lights went off and the cogwheel door rolled open to reveal Harold and Rhiannon. Ianto walked over and hugged Rhiannon. “I’m glad you came, Rhi,” Ianto said.

“I’d have come sooner if you’d called me,” Rhi replied sounding a little angry as she pulled out of Ianto’s embrace. “You look exhausted Ianto. How’s your arm feeling?”

“My arm’s healing okay, but I am very tired,” Ianto replied. “Sorry I didn’t call you sooner, but it’s been crazy since Grey died. Things are cleaned up now and we’re operational again. We cremated Grey and Hart’s remains like Jack wanted, but now I can’t get Jack to leave here and get some rest. That’s why I called you and asked Harold to make arrangements for me.”

“Everything’s ready for you and Jack,” Harold said. “All we have to do is get you two out the door and on your way.”

“And that’s where I come in,” Rhi said. “Where’s Jack?”

“Over in his office,” Ianto replied pointing her in the right direction.

“Right, leave him to me,” Rhi said walking briskly towards Jack’s office. “Jack Bloody Harkness – where the hell are you?!” Rhi bellowed at the top of her lungs.

Jack leapt out of his chair and met her at his office door. “Rhi? What are you doing here?” he asked.

“Ianto told me about your brother, Grey, and I came to check on you sweetheart,” Rhi answered pulling Jack into a hug. Jack hugged her back.

“I couldn’t save him,” Jack said quietly his fresh tears falling on Rhi’s blouse.

“Not your fault sweetheart,” Rhi replied. “I don’t think anyone could save him, Jack. What’s done is done. You’ve got to take care of yourself; get out of here for a few days and start living again.”

Jack shook his head. “There’s too much to do around here,” Jack replied.

Rhi pulled away from Jack and put her hands on her hips. “Bullocks, Jack,” she replied sounding a little angry. “Your Torchwood team and Pack Security can handle things for a week or two. What’s more important now is you and Ianto need to get away from here so you can rest and reconnect with each other – or have you totally forgotten you’re not the only one who’s suffering? Look at my brother; he’s been shot and he’s completely exhausted.”

Jack’s eyes turned and focused on Ianto who was talking to Harold. Ianto’s arm was still in a sling and Jack could see the dark circles under his eyes and how pale Ianto was. “Ianto,” Jack murmured before leaving Rhi standing alone in his office while he walked over to Ianto and pulled him into a gentle hug. “I’m so sorry Ianto; I was wallowing in my own grief and didn’t realize how you’re suffering too,” Jack said. “Rhi’s right; we need to get away from here to recuperate and reconnect.”

“It’s alright Jack, I’ve worked with Harold and everything is arranged,” Ianto replied. “We’ll go stay in one of the cottages at the private reserve in Brecon Beacons to recover for a couple of weeks. Anian and Harold will continue to help Owen, Gwen and Tosh run Torchwood in our absence. Our clothes are packed and Harold’s rented a Land Rover for us.”

“I know you two are exhausted so I’ll drive you there and Rhiannon will follow in my car. That way you’ll have the Land Rover at your disposal if you want to take a day trip or two while you’re on vacation,” Harold said.

“All you have to do is put your coat on, take my hand and walk out the front door with me,” Ianto said.

“What about Grey’s ashes? I should hold some type of service . . . say my goodbyes,” Jack said quietly.

“That can wait until after you’ve had a chance to recover properly, Cariad,” Ianto replied gently stroking Jack’s face and kissing Jack’s lips lightly. “You need this – we need this time together. Besides,”

“Rhi’s insisting?” Jack said finishing Ianto’s thought.

“Yep,” Ianto replied.

“Let me get my coat,” Jack said turning towards his office only to find Anian standing there holding Jack’s great coat out ready to help him put it on. Smiling Jack asked, “Are you in a hurry to get rid of me, Anian?”

“No Jack,” Anian replied, “I’m in a hurry to get you and Ianto on the road to recovery.” He helped Jack get his coat on while Gwen, Owen, Tosh, and Rhi joined the group.

Owen held up a bottle of pills. “If either of you have trouble sleeping this is a mild sedative to help you relax so you can sleep. Just follow the directions on the container. Jack, I’m going to come out and visit you in a couple of days to make sure you’re not going into depression and to check that Ianto’s wound is healing properly. Call me if you need me to visit sooner, alright?”

“Alright Owen – thanks,” Jack replied taking the medication from Owen’s hand. Gwen, Tosh and Anian hugged them goodbye before they headed out with Harold and Rhi.

Jack and Ianto sat quietly in the backseat of the Land Rover content to hold hands and be close to one another for the first part of the drive. Cardiff streets gave way to the country roads as Harold drove. He turned the radio on low to give Ianto and Jack some privacy.

“I’m surprised you agreed to a cottage in the countryside,” Jack said quietly. “The last time we were out in Brecon Beacons wasn’t very pleasant.”

“No it wasn’t pleasant,” Ianto agreed remembering their run in with the cannibals. “But the private reserve is in a different location and I’ve been out to the private reserve several times since I was little. I’m comfortable there. There are a couple of families who live out there all year and take care of the property for the pack. It’s beautiful and I think it’s a great place for us to recover and reconnect.”

“Sounds like a great place; can’t wait to see it,” Jack said. “You look tired, why don’t you try to rest for a little bit? I’ll even let you use my shoulder as a pillow.”

Ianto thought about it. He was so very tired and he craved the closeness Jack and he normally had, but it had been missing for the past couple of days. Jack had withdrawn into overwhelming grief and wasn’t sleeping so there had been little physical contact. Now, thanks to Rhi, Jack realized what he had accidentally done and was trying to make up for it. “I’d like that – thanks,” Ianto replied. He laid his head on Jack’s left shoulder and closed his eyes. He felt Jack pull a throw blanket over his legs with his free hand.

“Rest my love,” Jack whispered. “I’ll wake you when we arrive.”

Closing his eyes Ianto slept lightly hearing the music playing over the radio and the occasional question from Harold checking on them and Jack’s response. Finally Harold pulled the Land Rover over and parked it. He felt Jack kiss his forehead. “We’re here Ianto,” Jack said.

Ianto opened his eyes and sat up. It was still light out and he could see the cottage. Rhi pulled up next to the Land Rover and parked. Jack had let go of Ianto’s hand so he could get out of the vehicle. Ianto pulled the throw blanket off his lap and got out as well.

“It’s lovely,” Jack said admiring the cottage.

“The nice thing is it also has all the modern conveniences as well,” Harold said. “Let me show you around and then Rhi and I will get out of your hair.” Harold walked over to the front door and unlocked it, handing the keys to Ianto. Walking inside Harold pointed out the sitting room. “I had the caretakers give it a clean and air it out. It’s been updated just last year; new wiring, plumbing and everything works fine. He led them back to the kitchen. Opening cupboards he said, “It’s fully stocked with food, pots and pans just like you requested Ianto. Bedroom and bath are all upstairs and ready for you.”

“Thanks Harold, this is splendid,” Ianto replied.

“You’re welcome,” Harold replied. “Jack, why don’t you give me a hand with the luggage?”

“Sure,” Jack replied following Harold outside to the Land Rover.

Ianto took off his coat and draped it across a kitchen chair and went over to the coffee maker on the counter. It was an exact model of the one he had at his flat. He got some coffee brewing and went to the cupboard to pull down some mugs.

“You’re supposed to be resting,” Rhi said as she carried in a box and placed it on the kitchen table.

“I know, but I wanted to give you and Harold some coffee before you head back; it’s a bit of a drive,” Ianto replied. Looking at the box he asked, “I thought the kitchen was fully stocked, so what’s in the box?”

“I didn’t think either of you would feel up to making dinner tonight so I made beef stew and some fresh bread for your dinner,” Rhi replied pulling a slow cooker out of the box. She carried it over to the counter and plugged it in. “It's already cooked, so I’ll just set it on low to keep it warm.”

Ianto went over and picked the lid off the slow cooker releasing the savory aroma into the kitchen. His mouth watered at the sight of the stew and his tummy grumbled reminding him he really hadn’t eaten much in two days. He put the lid back down on the slow cooker before he ended up snatching a piece of the stew with his bare fingers. “It looks delicious, Rhi; thanks” Ianto said honestly.

“You’re welcome sweetheart,” she replied giving him a careful hug. “Take care of yourselves. You need anything and I mean anything, then you contact me or Harold right away.”

“We will, I promise,” Ianto agreed.

“Luggage is upstairs,” Jack said entering the kitchen having left his great coat in the hallway. Harold arrived a moment later. “Oh, what’s in the slow cooker?” Jack asked crossing over to it and lifting the lid. “It smells divine!”

“Rhi brought us some homemade stew,” Ianto replied. “Coffee’s ready too. Harold and Rhi will you have a cup of coffee before you leave?”

“Actually, we’d better get on the road, but I believe there are several coffee travel mugs in the cupboard. We’d be glad to take some coffee with us,” Harold replied.

“Which reminds me I’d better pop upstairs and use the loo before we leave,” Rhi said, “I’ll be right back.” She left the kitchen and headed upstairs.

Ianto pulled two travel mugs out of the cupboard and filled them with coffee, making sure to add sugar and milk to Rhi’s mug. Turning to hand Harold his travel mug, Ianto spotted Jack plucking a piece of carrot out of the stew and popping it into his mouth. “Jack, behave,” Ianto chided him.

“But I’m starving!” Jack practically whined. He didn’t help his case by licking the juices off his fingers.

Ianto rolled his eyes but a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. It was the first time in two days that Jack showed any interest in eating. “Have a slice of Rhi’s homemade bread to tide you over; they’ll be gone in five minutes and then we’ll eat,” he replied.

Jack perked up at the news. “Homemade bread? Great!” He retrieved the bread from the box on the table, sliced a piece and slathered some butter on it before taking a big bite. He was still chewing when Rhi came back in.

“I see someone’s found the bread; do you like it?” Rhi asked.

Jack managed to swallow before replying, “It’s fantastic – thank you!”

Rhi smiled and chuckled. “You’re welcome, Jack” She hugged him. “You need anything call us, alright?”

“We will. I promise,” Jack replied.

Rhi accepted her coffee-filled travel mug from Ianto. “Thanks for the coffee, Ianto. Now we’ll get out of your hair and let you two get on with reconnecting. I’ll call and check on you two in a couple of days.”

Jack and Ianto followed Harold and Rhi outside and waved goodbye as they drove off. They went back inside and dined on homemade stew and bread and had a cup of coffee. It was a good start to reconnecting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from socalrose: Jack still has to work things out and come to grips with Grey and Hart's deaths. Do you think Ianto's idea of a retreat is a good idea? Please let me know what you think; comments and questions are always appreciated!


	30. Doctor's Orders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Owen visits Jack and Ianto on the second day of their vacation.
> 
> This chapter is rated PG-13.
> 
> tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw

“Grey – No!” Two words torn from Jack’s nightmare shattered the night and yanked Ianto from his own disturbing dreams. Ianto turned on the bedside lamp throwing soft light over the bed and some of the room. Jack was on the floor his body trembling, breathing too fast and shallow and his eyes full of terror.

Immediately Ianto was down on the floor next to Jack wrapping his arms around him. “Jack, you’re okay, I’m here, and I’m alright. You’re hyperventilating; you need to slow down your breathing.” But Jack still seemed trapped in his nightmare with his eyes wide open. Ianto grasped Jack’s chin and then kissed him hard effectively forcing Jack to wake up and also breathe through his nose. Ianto held on and kept kissing Jack. He felt Jack’s breathing slow down as he responded to Ianto’s kiss, his trembling arms wrapped around Ianto’s waist. Finally Ianto pulled away just enough to say, “Are you back with me, Jack?”

“Yeah, I’m back,” Jack replied.

“Do you want to try and go back to sleep?”

“No,” Jack said shaking his head. “I’m afraid I’ll just have another nightmare. You need your rest Ianto; I’ll just go downstairs and read a book or watch a movie.” Jack got off the floor and pulled some jogging bottoms on over his boxers and put on a tee shirt. Ianto stood up and did the same. “You don’t have to keep me company Ianto,” he said.

“You’re not the only one having nightmares Jack,” Ianto replied pulling his tee shirt on carefully over his injured arm. “A couple more minutes and I’d have been the one screaming. Let’s go downstairs and I’ll make us some hot coco.”

Jack sighed, “Okay, but you need to take some painkillers for your arm too; pain’s not conducive to sleep either.”

“I’m fine Jack,” Ianto replied.

“No you’re not Ianto,” Jack said sadly. “And it’s my fault.”

Ianto cupped his hand against Jack’s face and Jack leaned into the touch naturally. “It’s not your fault, Cariad; I hope someday you’ll believe it because it’s true,” Ianto said kissing Jack’s lips. “Come on’ hot coco first and then we’ll watch a comedy or documentary DVD.” They headed downstairs to the kitchen. Ianto opened the cupboard to get the mugs and coco out and smiled when he spotted a large tin in the cupboard. “You think of everything Rhi,” Ianto said reaching for the tin and pulling it out.

“What did you say?” Jack asked walking over to Ianto carrying a bottle of milk and a saucepan to warm the milk up in.

“I found something Rhi left for us,” Ianto replied. He read the post-it note and smiled. “She says these are for afters or whenever we need comfort food.”

Jack took the tin from Ianto and opened it up. “Oh Rhi, you’ve outdone yourself! Look Ianto, there’s oatmeal cookies, chocolate chip and even peanut butter cookies!” Jack took an oatmeal one out and took a bite. “Hmm, fresh and moist too – Ianto you’ve got to have some!”

“I will after I’ve made the coco,” Ianto said. A few minutes later Ianto was sitting on the couch sipping his coco watching Jack peruse the DVD choices. Jack had convinced Ianto to take some Paracetamol for his sore arm or rather Ianto took it to keep Jack from nagging him.

“Interesting collection of DVDs,” Jack said reading the labels on the shelf. “They’re arranged in categories: Comedies, James Bond, Fluffy happy documentaries, Calming travel logs, Romantic Comedies, Action movies, Dramadies, and Happy Musicals. What do you want to watch?”

“How about a Fluffy happy documentary?” Ianto suggested. “I don’t want anything that will gear us up; I just want to wind down.”

“Okay, how about this one; It’s a Dog’s Life in the UK?”

“Sounds perfect,” Ianto agreed biting into a chocolate chip cookie. Jack put the DVD in and pressed the Play button. He sat down next to Ianto, picked up his coco and took a sip as the documentary started.

“It’s early morning on the Watts’ farm and the Jack Russell terrier pups are wide awake . . .” the narrator said in deep, posh tones as Ianto draped his good arm across Jack’s shoulders and settled down to watch.

He wasn’t sure if it was the sunlight shining through the sitting room window or the birds’ chirping which woke him up, but it didn’t matter. Ianto opened his eyes and realized he was still lying on the couch in the sitting room; last thing he remembered was watching the dog documentary with Jack followed by another entitled It’s Cool to be a Kitten. Somehow he’d ended up stretched out on the couch lying against Jack’s chest with Jack’s arms wrapped around him.

“You awake sleepy head?” Jack asked carding his fingers through Ianto’s hair.

“Hmm, I suppose so, but I don’t want to get up,” Ianto admitted.

“You don’t have to get up; we could just lie here on the couch for a while and you could rest some more,” Jack replied.

“I’d like to but unfortunately my bladder insists I get up now before it’s too late,” Ianto replied. “Besides, Owen’s coming today to check how my wound’s healing and how you’re recovering as well,” he added getting up from the couch and stretching.

“My gunshot wound healed up yesterday,” Jack replied getting up as well and following Ianto upstairs.

“That’s good,” Ianto said from the bathroom. Jack heard the toilet flush and saw Ianto poke his head out the bathroom door. “Owen wasn’t too worried about your gunshot wound although it took longer to heal than is normal for you; he’s more concerned about you falling into depression.”

Jack worried his lower lip and sighed. “I’m very sad and upset over what happened with Grey and Hart, but I’m not depressed, Ianto,” he replied.

“I hope you’re not, but Owen’s worried and I am too, so just let him check you over, alright?” Ianto asked.

“Okay,” Jack agreed.

“Good. Now I’m going to take a shower; care to join me and scrub my back?” Ianto asked.

Ianto’s invitation was rewarded by a small smile on Jack’s face. “I’d love to,” Jack replied joining Ianto in the bathroom.

The shower stall wasn’t quite as big as the one in their flat, but they managed to shower together. Jack reveled in simply gently washing Ianto’s body with a soft flannel and their favorite shower gel; he was extra careful with Ianto’s wounded arm. Ianto returned the favor by doing the same for Jack. Ianto wasn’t surprised they went no further than touching and kissing and for now it was enough. They got out of the shower just before they ran out of hot water.

What time is Owen going to be here?” Jack asked. They’d dressed and were in the kitchen making breakfast. Jack had decided to make American flapjacks while Ianto was making the coffee and bacon.

“His text said anytime after 11 a.m., so I guess we should plan on feeding him lunch,” Ianto replied. He finished making the coffee and placed the mugs on the kitchen table and then went to remove the bacon from the frying pan. He watched Jack expertly flip the flapjack in the skillet by tossing the flapjack in the air and catching it back in the skillet. A stack of flapjacks was in the oven being kept warm. Ianto enjoyed this domestic part of their relationship; just preparing a meal together was comforting after all they had been through recently. “Almost done then?” Ianto asked.

“Yep, this is the last flapjack,” Jack said. Ianto pulled the rest of the flapjacks out and placed them on the kitchen table along with the bacon, butter, maple syrup, strawberry preserves, chocolate syrup, and even whip cream. Jack liked a variety of things on his flapjacks depending on his mood.

They sat down at the table and dug in; Ianto went with maple syrup and butter while Jack decided today he’d indulge in strawberry preserves and squirty cream. They ate in companionable silence.

Jack finished first and started putting things away. “I’ll wash, you dry?” he asked Ianto.

“Sure,” Ianto agreed finishing the last of his flapjacks. They made quick work of the wash up and then adjourned to the sitting room. “What do you want to do today after Owen’s done with us?” he asked Jack. This was their second day at the cottage and they’d spent the first day simply sleeping, eating and lounging around.

“Maybe we could just go for a long walk; you could show me the sights around here?” Jack suggested.

“Sure, Ianto agreed. “Right now I’m going to check my email account and see if anyone from work had any questions about the archives.” Harold had packed a Torchwood encrypted laptop in Ianto’s luggage like Ianto had requested so Ianto could touch base periodically to check in. He knew Jack would be more willing to be away from work if they could check on things remotely from time to time; it was a small concession in Ianto’s mind. Logging on he discovered five emails. Opening the first one he found a greeting from Gwen assuring him and Jack that things were quiet so far, no intergalactic space slime had appeared in Cardiff just a few Weevils popped up in a pet shop eating some dog chow. “Let us know if you need anything. Take care of yourselves,” she said in closing.

The next one was from Tosh confirming what Gwen said about things being quiet and not to worry. “If Jack wants us to dispose of Grey and Hart’s ashes or if he wants us to bring them out to the cottage so he can have some sort of closure, just let us know,” Tosh wrote. “We’re all worried about you and Jack and miss you, but we know you need to do whatever it takes to recover from the recent events, so do what you have to do. Love, Tosh.”

Owen’s email was simply, “I’ll be out to check up on you two shortly after eleven, so get your naked hide and seek out of the way before I arrive. – Owen”

The one from Anian was actually a legitimate question asking where he should file a new piece of junk which came through the rift yesterday. Ianto opened the attached JPEG file and chuckled. He wrote back to Anian the object in question was actually an Ood toy which played music and generated a light display for children; they’d had one come through the rift last year. Anian could put it with the other one and Ianto told him what section of the archives he’d stored the first one in.

The last email was from Harold saying he hoped Jack and Ianto were settled into the cottage and things were running fine in their absence. “By the way, you might want to stop by and say hello to Pete while you’re out for a walk with Jack. Pete was asking about you two and he remembers you, Ianto, fondly from your previous visits with your mam and tad when you were growing up. He’s getting on in years and he’s a little lonely now that his wife passed on and his son is living in Cardiff and teaching at Uni. I’d consider it a personal favor if you’d visit him. – Harold”

Ianto smiled fondly remembering Pete; he was always kind and friendly. He had told Ianto and Rhiannon lots of stories about the old days before lycans were officially recognized by the Queen and brought under her protection. Visiting Pete would fit in nicely with their plans for a walk this afternoon. He emailed Harold and told him they’d visit Pete this afternoon. Finished with his emails, Ianto turned and asked, “Jack do you want to check your emails before I shut down the laptop?” Jack, who was watching a movie, just shook his head without his eyes leaving the screen. Ianto shut down the computer and joined Jack on the couch. “What are you watching?” he asked.

“Cat Ballou,” Jack replied. Ianto went and joined Jack on the couch. They watched the scene where the hero’s hat was blown off his head by the wind, he leaned over to pick it up and fell off his horse into a horse trough getting soaked through and through. Jack roared with laughter. “I love that scene!” he said. Ianto laughed along with him. Their viewing was interrupted by the arrival of a car and the slam of car door.

“That will be Owen, no doubt,” Ianto said putting the movie on pause. He went and opened the door before Owen could even knock. “We heard you arrive,” Ianto said.

“Thought I’d never get here,” Owen replied. “Where’s the loo?”

Ianto replied, “It’s upstairs on the left.”

Owen greeted Jack before running upstairs to use the loo. The flush of the toilet and the running of water in the basin announced Owen was done with his business and he appeared downstairs a moment later. “I’ll check Ianto’s wound first and then I’m giving you the once over as well,” Owen announced. “Where do you want to do this?” he asked.

“Here in the sitting room is as good a place as any,” Ianto replied.

“Fine, then off with your shirt, Ianto,” Owen said.

Once Ianto had his shirt off he sat down on the couch and Owen sat down next to him. Jack stood nearby wanting to find out if Ianto was healing okay or not.

Owen took off the bandage Ianto had wrapped around his arm after his shower. Examining the wound Owen said, “No sign of infection looks to be healing nicely. I’d say it’s time to remove those two stitches from the exit wound.” Owen opened up his kit and took out the suture removal instruments and laid a small towel down on the coffee table. “You know the drill Ianto, just hold still for me.” Owen snipped the sutures apart and then with two quick tugs the sutures were out. “Right, now show me the range of motion you have right now and tell me how bad the pain is; usual pain scale of one to ten.”

Ianto raised his arm and made a circular motion then pumped and flexed his arm carefully. “Doesn’t hurt too badly; I can feel the tug of the scar tissue building, though,” he admitted.

Owen took Ianto’s blood pressure and temperature and took a blood sample. “Everything seems to be on the mend. You can stop putting your arm in the sling, but don’t lift any weight above five pounds with your injured arm for at least another week. Listen to your body – if it hurts to do something, don’t do it. Otherwise it’s plenty of sleep, eat well, and keep an eye on Jack. Any questions?”

“Yes, I haven’t morphed into my lycan form since I was shot; would I re-injure my arm if I did morph?” Ianto asked.

Owen thought about it for a moment and replied, “it’s possible you might aggravate your injury because when you morph your body mass is larger and you might possibly pull at the healing tissue so I recommend you hold off on morphing at least for another week.”

Ianto nodded agreeing with Owen’s explanation. “Alright I’ll stay in my human form until next week.”

“Good. Put your shirt back on,” Owen said as he rolled the used instruments up in the towel and stored them back into his kit. “Come on Jack; let’s see how you’re doing. Plunk your arse down,” Owen said patting the couch where Ianto had just vacated.

Jack complied and sat down. Owen scanned Jack’s thigh with the Bekaran scanner just to make sure he had fully healed from his gunshot wound. “When did you fully heal from the gunshot wound,” Owen asked.

“Yesterday,” Jack replied.

“So you didn’t heal quite as quickly as you normally do,” Owen stated. He took Jack’s vital signs just like he had done with Ianto and also took a blood sample. “Are you sleeping and eating okay? And remember Ianto is standing right next to you, so don’t even think of lying to me.”

Jack sighed, “I’m not sleeping real well; I have terrible nightmares and either wake up panicked or Ianto has to wake me up because I’m thrashing about and screaming in my sleep,” Jack admitted. “I feel bad about it because I’m keeping Ianto awake too.”

“Don’t be silly Jack,” Ianto said in his defense. “I can always take a nap during the day to catch up on my sleep; keeping your nightmares in check is more important.” Looking over at Owen, Ianto added, “Jack is eating just fine, so no worries there at least.”

Owen looked at Jack and Ianto and could see how tired they were; especially Jack. “Ianto’s right, Jack, he can take naps to catch up on sleep. Have you tried the mild sedative prescription I gave you just before Ianto and you left to come here?”

Jack shook his head. “No, I’m afraid to; what if I take it and then I can’t wake up and get out of a nightmare?”

“The sedative won’t prevent you from waking up. All it does is relax you enough to get into a deep sleep. The light sleep, REM sleep, is where nightmares occur. Trust me Jack you’ll still be able to wake up from your nightmares. Have you tried talking to Ianto about your nightmares? Do you want to talk to me or someone else about them?” Owen asked.

“I’m not ready to talk about them just yet,” Jack replied. “Please don’t force me to talk about them.”

“Alright I won’t force the issue right now, but you know it will help you to talk about them,” Owen replied. Putting his stethoscope and blood pressure cuff up Owen summarized his findings. “I think your body is still recovering from the trauma of being buried and then being shot as well as the emotional trauma of it being done to you by your brother. I also think you’re depressed but not to the point that antidepressants are warranted yet, so I’ll hold them in reserve. So my doctor’s orders for you are to rest as much as you can, continue to eat well, take care of Ianto, and if you really feel you can’t talk to anyone yet about your feelings I’ like you to at least keep a journal or draw pictures; do something to express your feelings.”

Jack thought about it for a moment; “Do I have to show the journal or the drawings to you?” he asked.

“Not if you don’t want to Jack,” Owen replied honestly. He knew from past experience how therapeutic journaling or drawing could be for someone who had been traumatized even if they didn’t share them with anyone, so the idea of Jack even thinking about doing something like that was a good sign.

“Okay, I’ll think about doing something like that,” Jack agreed.

“Good,” Owen replied closing up his medical kit. “Now how about giving me some lunch and coffee – I’m starving!”

“I’ve got some quiche warming up in the oven,” Jack replied. It should be done in about ten minutes.”

They chatted about mundane things while Ianto made some coffee. Owen went out to his car, put away his medical kit and came back into the kitchen carrying the empty travel mugs and a coffee thermos. “They’re clean,” Owen said about the travel mugs he handed to Ianto. “And I’d love to take some of your coffee back on my return trip. I’m going through coffee withdrawals.”

Ianto chuckled at Owen’s remarks. “I’ll make another batch of coffee and fill up the thermos before you leave,” Ianto replied.

“Lunch is ready,” Jack said pulling the quiche out and setting it down on the trivet on the kitchen table. He sliced it up and served it to Ianto and Owen before sliding a slice on to his own plate. Sitting down they tucked into a lunch of quiche, sliced fruit, and coffee.

“This is good Jack; did you make it from scratch?” Owen asked.

“No; apparently Rhi and some friends prepared some dishes for us just in case we didn’t feel like cooking. All I had to do was heat it up,” Jack replied.

“Well God bless em one and all,” Owen said taking another bite of his quiche.

“Who are you – Tiny Tim?” Ianto asked with a smirk.

“Call me whatever you like as long as I get food like this,” Owen replied. They finished their lunch and had some more of Rhi’s cookies for afters. Ianto made a fresh batch of coffee for Owen as promised and sent him on his way with a full thermos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note from socalrose: This chapter was so long I had to divide it in two. Next chapter coming in a day or two. Comments and questions are always appreciated
> 
> I should had said American flapjacks or pancakes which are light and fluffy and oh so fabulous with butter and maple syrup or like Jack had his with strawberries and squirty cream - yummy! An easy way to keep flapjacks/pancakes warm for service is to preheat an oven to 200F degrees before you begin cooking. As they come off the griddle or frying pan place them on a sheet pan in a single layer and hold them in the oven. Here's a link to a recipe for American flapjack/pancakes:  
> allrecipes.com/Recipe/Good-Old-Fashioned-Pancakes/detail.aspx


	31. A Walk, a Motorbike and a Dog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What it says on the tin.

“How about that walk now?” Ianto suggested. Jack agreed and they donned some lightweight jackets since it was rather nice out and went for a walk. Ianto gave Jack a walking tour of the community center which housed a gym, meeting hall, auditorium, and several conference rooms. Plus there were outdoor basketball and tennis courts and a playing field suitable for rugby or soccer. “They have camps earlier in the summer for the children and they host several pack gatherings throughout the year since the roads are well paved now and not the rutted dirt roads I remember from when I was a child.”

“Must be expensive to run electricity and other utilities clear out here,” Jack said as they took in the sights.

“Not really,” Ianto replied. “About five years ago the pack got a grant to set up a field of wind turbines over behind those hills,” he pointed to the hills north of them. “The wind turbines are out of sight and they generate more than enough power for the entire population here and the pack actually sells the surplus back to the electricity company. Plus we paid for a cell tower to be installed nearby too which also benefits the pack and people who drive through the area.”

“Smart move,” Jack said admiring the pack’s wisdom to promote its well being and benefiting the general public as well. “Shouldn’t we start heading back?” he asked.

“Sure; I hope you don’t mind if we make one stop on the way back,” Ianto said. “Harold sent me an email and asked me to stop by and say hello to Pete.”

“Who’s Pete?” Jack asked.

“He’s one of the caretakers here and I’ve known him since I was a child,” Ianto replied. “Harold said Pete lost his wife a few years ago and he gets lonely sometimes now she’s gone and his son lives in Cardiff teaching at the university there.”

Jack took Ianto’s hand in his and said, “I’d love to meet Pete.” Ianto smiled and he led Jack down the road to a cottage. The cottage was like the one they were staying at but the little front garden was filled with rose bushes in full bloom in a sea of color.

“Pete grows some of the prettiest roses I’ve ever seen,” Ianto commented. “His wife loved roses.”

“They’re beautiful,” Jack agreed his eyes roaming over all the different rose colors. They stood together and admired them for a few minutes before walking up to the front door and knocking. A dog barking through the front door startled them a bit.

“Shut it Jasper; you’ll scare the people away,” they heard a voice bellow before the door was open. A man slightly shorter than Ianto opened the door. He appeared to be older than Harold and his hair was totally white. His green eyes sparkled and he smiled when he saw Ianto’s face. “Is that you, Ianto?” the man asked.

“It is,” Ianto replied smiling and shaking Pete’s hand. “How are you Pete?”

“Been better,” Pete replied holding up his left arm to show them the cast on his left forearm.

“What happened?” Ianto asked.

“It’s a long story; why don’t you and the captain come inside and sit a spell and I’ll tell you all about it,” Pete suggested opening the door wider and ushering them in.

“You know who I am?” Jack asked as they walked into the sitting room.

“Aye, Captain Harkness,” Pete replied shaking Jack’s hand. “I grew up in Cardiff and seen you enough times to know who you are, but it’s a pleasure to meet you in person finally. Harold told me you and Ianto are life mates – congratulations.”

“Thank you,” Jack replied. “And please call me Jack.”

“Have a seat, gentlemen – can I get you something to drink?” Pete asked.

“No thanks; we’re fine,” Ianto replied. He and Jack sat down on the sofa while Pete sat down in a comfortable-looking armchair facing them.

Pete pointed at the Jack Russell Terrier dog which was busy sniffing their shoes and trousers and said, “That’s Jasper who’s checking you out; he won’t bite.” Jasper finished inspecting Ianto and Jack before jumping up on the couch next to Jack, laying down and placing his head in Jack’s lap.

Chuckling, Jack started stroking his hand from the top of Jasper’s head to his back in long, firm strokes. “I guess I meet your approval,” Jack said.

“Yep, you do,” Pete agreed.

Ianto smiled as he watched Jack pet Jasper. Jasper seemed to have a soothing affect on Jack. Ianto looked over at Pete, who was also watching Jack and Jasper; Pete’s expression was thoughtful. “So, Pete how did you end up with your arm in a cast?” Ianto asked.

“Oh, well you remember I’ve always had motorbikes? Used to give you kids rides when you were here?”

“Oh yes,” Ianto said. “I was terrified and thrilled at the same time and Rhi screamed at the top of her lungs when you gave her a ride.”

“It was good fun giving rides to you kids,” Pete agreed. “Last week, I drove into Cardiff to have dinner with Daffyd and this stupid woman pulled out of a side turning and drove into me. I saw her just in time to launch myself off the motorbike and land on the bonnet of her car while my motorbike went under her car. The woman got out of her car and stood there glaring at me. I’m lying on the car bonnet, cradling my broken arm, gasping in pain and do you know what the stupid cow had the nerve to say?”

Jack and Ianto both shook their heads.

“She had the bloody nerve to say to me, “You dented my bonnet!”

“You’re kidding!” Jack said looking as surprised as Ianto.

“Unfortunately, I’m not kidding; she actually said it,” Pete replied. “I’m afraid I kind of lost my temper at that point and I morphed. It hurt my arm like blazes to do it, but the woman took one look at my lycan form and fainted!” Pete said proudly. "I morphed back before anyone saw me, called 999 and waited for the police and an ambulance to arrive. I told them how the woman had hit me with her car and then apparently fainted although I implied she might have had a nip or two as well. When the ambulance took me to the hospital they were administering a field sobriety test to the woman.”

The three men laughed. “Pete, I like your style,” Jack said. They chatted for a few minutes more before Ianto and Jack stood up to leave.

“It was good to see you again Ianto; Jack, a pleasure to finally meet you,” Pete said as he followed them out the front door with Jasper right behind him.

“We’ll stop by again before we leave,” Jack said. They waved goodbye and started to walk away when they realized Jasper was following them. “Go back to Pete, Jasper,” Jack said.

“I’m afraid he’s not going to listen to you Jack or to me for that matter,” Pete said catching up to them. Pete held out a canvas bag to Jack. “There’s enough dog food there for a week.”

“Why are you giving us dog food?” Ianto asked.

“Jasper’s a special dog,” Pete began explaining looking fondly at the Jack Russell Terrier standing by Jack. “He was given to me as a companion when Phyllis passed on and there’s just something about him being around that makes a sad person feel better. From time to time pack members come to stay at one of the cottages because they’re going through a rough patch like I did. Three times Jasper has gone to people staying in the cottages and been a companion to them while they stayed here until they were better.”

Looking Jack in the eye, Pete said, “I don’t know the details of what happened to you, Jack, but Harold told me you’ve suffered a loss. Jasper senses your deep sadness, so he’s decided he’s going to be your companion for a while. He’ll come back to me when he knows you're better.”

Jack turned his gaze to the dog for a moment and then looked back at Pete. “You’re serious, aren’t you?” Jack asked quietly.

“Very much so,” Pete replied.

“Okay,” Jack said with a sigh taking the bag from Pete. “Seems like I don’t have a choice, anyway.”

“Afraid not,” Pete agreed with a slight chuckle.

Jack and Ianto headed back to their cottage with Jasper right behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note from socalrose: Sorry for the delay in posting. I have no excuse but I am sorry.
> 
> Think Jasper can help Jack? Let me know what you think. Comments and questions are always welcomed!


	32. Stormy Weather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things seem to be getting better - right? Jasper can help, but will it be enough? 
> 
> Warning for flashback terror.

“Seriously Harold, what were you thinking?” Ianto asked. He’d taken a nap after coming back from their walk and was now making dinner while talking on his mobile. “Jack’s supposed to be resting and reconnecting with me, not playing fetch with a bloody dog.”

“You wouldn’t have gone if I told you the truth,” Harold replied calmly. “Besides, I didn’t know for sure Jasper would decide to help Jack.”

“And how is Jasper supposed to help Jack?” Ianto asked. “You make it sound like Jasper’s got some sort of mystical healing powers.”

“It’s hard to explain because it’s different with each person Jasper has helped,” Harold explained. “Look, just give it a few days and see how it goes.”

Ianto closed his eyes and sighed. “Alright, no harm, no foul I suppose,” he said. “I’ll talk to you in a few days. Bye.” He ended the call, pulled the Sheppard’s pie out of the oven and placed it on a trivet to cool down a bit. Supper was ready so Ianto walked into the sitting room to tell Jack, but found Jack fast asleep on the couch. Jasper was lying next to Jack and the dog opened its eyes at Ianto’s approach. “Jack, supper’s ready,” Ianto quietly said. Jack responded with a light snore. “Fast asleep at last,” Ianto said although he wasn’t sure if he was saying it to Jasper or himself. Ianto snagged a blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over Jack. Jack had slept so little since they’d rescued him and when he did try to sleep he woke up screaming from his nightmares. Supper could be reheated later because sleep was more important just now.

Returning to the kitchen Ianto dished up his serving of Sheppard’s pie and also prepared some dog food for Jasper. Taking both back to the sitting room he placed the dog food dish on the floor by the couch in case Jasper was hungry and then Ianto sat down in the armchair and ate his supper. Jasper hopped down from the couch and ate his supper before returning to his spot next to Jack. Ianto took the dishes back into the kitchen, did the wash up and put the rest of the Sheppard’s pie into the refrigerator.

Ianto found a book to read from the bookshelf and sat in the comfortable armchair, making certain the light from the floor lamp wasn’t shining in Jack’s face. He was thoroughly immersed in the plot when Jasper drew his attention to Jack, who was muttering in his sleep and looking distressed. Ianto got out of his chair to wake Jack up but Jasper beat him to it by licking Jack’s face. Ianto watched as Jack woke up enough to escape his nightmare, blearily looking at Jasper before turning on his side and going back to sleep. Jasper watched Jack for a moment and then settled back down in his spot next to him.

“You clever little dog,” Ianto said sitting back down in his armchair. Jasper had caught Jack just when his nightmare started and stopped it before it could trap Jack in its clutches. Jack was finally getting some recuperative sleep which he sorely needed. Ianto read his book while Jack continued to sleep.

Jack opened his eyes and came face to face with Jasper. “Hello, Jasper,” Jack said. Jasper licked Jack’s face causing Jack to chuckle and then the dog jumped down to the floor. Glancing around, Jack realized he had fallen asleep on the couch. Ianto was asleep in the armchair with his legs stretched across the matching ottoman, an open book lying across his chest. Jack got up quietly and draped his blanket over Ianto before letting Jasper out the kitchen door.

Ianto walked into the kitchen yawning, “Morning.”

“Morning,” Jack replied embracing Ianto and kissing him lightly on the lips. “Last thing I remember is lying down on the couch for a moment waiting for you to call me to dinner. What happened?”

“Exhaustion and Jasper happened,” Ianto replied stepping out of Jack’s embrace to make some coffee. “I came in to tell you supper was ready and you were sound asleep. You needed sleep more than supper, so I left you alone. The fascinating part was what Jasper did.” He handed a mug of coffee to Jack.

“Thanks,” Jack said taking the mug from Ianto and taking a sip. “What did Jasper do?”

“Every time you started having a nightmare, Jasper licked your face to wake you up just enough to bring you out of your nightmare and then you’d go back to sleep.”

“Really; I don’t remember any of it. How many times did it happen?”

Ianto thought a moment; “Four times before I fell asleep. Main thing is you slept for over twelve hours – how do you feel?”

“I’m not as tired as I was yesterday; still not fully recovered though,” Jack admitted.

“It’s a start,” Ianto said hearing Jasper barking at the back door. He opened the door and Jasper, tail waving happily, trotted into the kitchen.

Jack crouched down and hugged Jasper. “You’re a good dog, Jasper; thank you.”

Jasper, Jack and Ianto fell into a routine: Walks in the mornings and afternoons, Jack and Jasper playing fetch or tug-of-war while Ianto checked his e-mails or did the wash up. Jasper would wander into the kitchen and nap whenever Jack and Ianto started snogging each other. Every night all three would sleep in the bed and Jasper would keep vigil and wake Jack up whenever a nightmare started to invade Jack’s sleep. Jack and Ianto were feeling rested and stronger with each day. Ianto dared to hope they were back on track.

They were out for their morning walk when dark, fast moving clouds appeared and they headed back to the cottage running and laughing. The rain pelted down soaking them by the time they made it back to the cottage. Jack carried Jasper up the stairs and plunked him down in the bathtub because the dog had mud all over his paws, belly, and tail. Jasper was one unhappy dog as Jack shampooed and cleaned him up. Twice Jasper tried to escape from the tub only to be thwarted by Jack’s quick actions. Ianto took a couple of pictures with his iPhone of Jasper covered in suds looking sulky and miserable. Finally Jack rinsed Jasper off; towel dried his fur, took him out of the tub, and placed him on the floor. Ianto got one more picture of Jack flinching as Jasper did a whole body shake from the tip of his nose down to the tip of his tail shaking what little water was left on his fur right into Jack’s face before tearing out of the bathroom at full speed.

Ianto and Jack quickly cleaned up the mess from Jasper’s bath and then they changed out of their wet clothes before heading downstairs.

Ianto turned on the floor lamp because the storm outside had obscured all sunlight. “Care to spend time with me watching movies in the sitting room? I’ll get a lovely fire going in the fireplace and we can snuggle,” Ianto suggested.

“Just snuggle? What if I want to snog you silly instead?” Jack asked pouting slightly.

Ianto kissed Jack on the lips. “Whatever you’re up for, Cariad; I’ll go light the fire while you make some hot coco for us. Deal?”

“Deal,” Jack agreed.

Ianto got the fire going just before a clap of thunder boomed right above the cottage and the lights went out. “Bugger! Well at least I’ve got the fire going; now where are those candles?” A quick search and he found the candles on the bookcase top shelf along with some matches. He lit two, left one on the end table by the couch and then carried the other one with him to go check on Jack.

“Jack, how’s the coco coming?” Ianto asked. Jasper barked in reply, but Jack didn’t answer. “Jack, where are you?” The rain intensified, pummeling the cottage. Ianto couldn’t see very far with the single candle’s light but he followed Jasper’s barks into the kitchen, past the kitchen table and found Jack on the floor. Jack’s eyes were screwed shut, his shirt drenched in a cold sweat, mouth open gasping for air, hands flailing. Ianto quickly put the candle on the kitchen table, fell to his knees and pulled Jack into his arms. “Jack, it’s okay, you’re alright, Cariad,” Ianto said trying to comfort him while Jasper huddled against Jack’s side lending his comfort as well, but Jack was still trapped inside his mind. Clearly Jack was suffocating and panicking – Ianto was afraid Jack would end up having a heart attack.

Terrified for his life mate Ianto morphed into his lycan form barely aware of the pain in his arm. He ripped both his and Jack’s shirts off knowing the skin-to-fur contact would help Jack. Ianto pulled Jack into his lap and turned him so their chests were touching and tightened his embrace. “Come back to me, Jack,” Ianto said before beginning his lycan song. He poured his soul into calling his life mate back to him. Jasper briefly added his voice to Ianto’s, understanding the love and the urgency in Ianto’s song. Ianto felt Jack’s flailing and gasping slowly subside. Jack was finally able to breathe and he tucked his head against Ianto’s neck inhaling his familiar scent and wrapped his arms around Ianto’s neck. Ianto finished his song and stroked Jack’s back to comfort him.

“I need to get you off this floor Jack. Do you think you can stand up?” Ianto asked. Jack nodded and got off his lap. Ianto helped him stand up and wrapped his arm around Jack’s waist while Jack draped his arm over Ianto’s shoulders. Together they walked back into the sitting room. Jack sat down on the couch and Ianto grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch. He sat down next to Jack and wrapped the blanket around them. Jack again wrapped his arms around Ianto and tucked his head against Ianto’s neck. Jasper jumped up on the couch and curled up against Jack.

Carding his fingers through Jack’s hair, Ianto continued to calm and reassure his trembling mate. Finding out what triggered this flashback would have to wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note from socalrose: What do you think happened to Jack? Comments and questions are always welcome!


	33. Damp Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The storm's over; time to assess the damage.

The old oak tree had survived for over a hundred years until tonight when it was split in two by a lightning bolt during the storm. There was no fire because the heavy rain extinguished any sparks before they could take hold. One of its limbs struck an electrical cable cutting off power to the private reserve where Jack and Ianto were staying.

Ianto remained in lycan form while he continued to comfort Jack. His life mate’s trembling had finally subsided but Jack made no move to pull away from Ianto. “I think the worst of the storm has passed,” Ianto said noting the thunder had stopped and the heavy rains had diminished. He shifted his position enough so he could lift Jack’s chin and see his eyes. Red rimmed eyes and a pale face looked back at Ianto. “Would you be okay alone with Jasper for a moment?”

“Yeah,” Jack managed to reply after clearing his throat. He released his tight hold on Ianto so he could get up.

“I’ll be back in a jiffy,” Ianto said as he stood up. “Jasper, stay with Jack.” Jasper crawled into Jack’s lap and licked his face. Jack wrapped his arms around the dog. Ianto tucked the blanket around them.

Ianto added a log to the fire and then climbed up the stairs in the dark leaving the candle in the sitting room with Jack to comfort him. Ianto found his mobile on the nightstand where he’d left it and turned it on. Using the light from his mobile he grabbed two jumpers before searching the storage bench in the hallway. Ianto found two emergency camping lanterns along with some eight-hour glow sticks. He snapped and shook a glow stick and tied it to the banister at the top of the stairs and then turned on one of the battery-operated lanterns. Carrying the items downstairs he activated another glow stick and tied it to the banister at the bottom of the stairs. “Found the camping lanterns,” he said walking into the sitting room. He placed the lit lantern on the coffee table and blew out the candle. “There, that’s better. I’ll keep the other lantern in reserve.” Crouching down next to Jack, Ianto stroke the back of his hand down Jack’s cheek. “You seem calmer – are you?”

Jack stopped stroking Jasper’s fur for a moment. “No, I feel shaky inside,” Jack admitted. He was still very pale.

“Fortunately we have a gas hob – I’ll go put the kettle on.” Ianto left one of the jumpers for Jack and took the other one into the kitchen. After he put the kettle on, Ianto morphed back into his human form and slipped the jumper over his head while he waited for the kettle. Five minutes later he carried a tray into the sitting room. “Tea and biscuits for us and dog food for Jasper,” Ianto said. He put the dog food on the floor. Jasper hesitated glancing between Jack and the dish of dog food showing his uncertainty by whining softly.

“Go on and get your supper,” Jack said. Jasper jumped down and started eating his dog food. Ianto sat back down next to Jack and handed him a mug of hot sweet tea. “Thank you,” Jack said holding the mug in both hands fearing he’d spill it otherwise. They sat together silently sipping their tea. Ianto’s left arm was draped over Jack’s shoulders, his hand absently stroking Jack’s upper arm. He waited patiently for Jack to drink his tea and eat a few biscuits. Sighing Jack placed his empty mug back on the coffee table and leaned back into Ianto’s embrace.

“Feeling better?” Ianto asked. Jack nodded. “It looked like you had a flashback – think you can talk about it?” Jack closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Finally opening his eyes he replied, “Not tonight, I can’t; I’m afraid I’ll lose it again.”

“It’s alright Jack,” Ianto assured him, not wanting to distress Jack. “On one condition; I want you to take one of the sedatives Owen prescribed for you. We’ll bunk here in the sitting room tonight where we have light and heat so you’ll feel safe. Agreed?”

He watched Jack tense briefly and sigh once more; “Okay, I’ll take a sedative. Thank you for being understanding and patient. I promise to tell you what happened tomorrow.”

“I’ll hold you to your promise,” Ianto replied. They had soup for supper and then went upstairs to change into pajama bottoms and tee shirts before they came back down to the sitting room with pillows and another blanket. Ianto let Jasper out the front door for one last pee. Jasper was quick about it since it was still raining outside. Business done he came back inside and stood on the rug just inside the front door, letting Ianto dry him off with a big towel. Returning to the sitting room they found Jack had moved the coffee table out of the way and shoved the ottoman over next to the couch. Jack was already lying down on the couch; Jasper jumped right up on the ottoman and lay down near Jack. “Did you take the sedative?” Ianto asked.

“Um-huh,” was the sleepy reply.

Ianto laid down behind Jack and pulled the blanket over them. Jack turned over so they were facing each other, his sleepy eyes searching Ianto’s. “Love you.”

Smiling, Ianto kissed Jack. “I love you too, Cariad.” Jack snuggled closer and fell asleep in his life mate’s embrace.

Owen was already bored and it was only 9 a.m. Rift activity was at an all time low with only an occasional spike just big enough to spit out an alien toy or space debris. Tosh was catching up on paperwork and Gwen was meeting with Harold to check status on Pack security/Torchwood activities. Owen had finished his backlog of autopsies and reports yesterday and was feeling superfluous. He was just about to suggest getting the annual physicals out of the way when his mobile rang. Glancing at the display he saw it was Ianto calling. Answering his mobile he said, “Please tell me you’ve got a Weevil running loose through the cottages.”

“And good morning to you too – things a little dull at the Hub I take it?”

“That is an understatement; I’ve finished all my reports, inventoried the medical supplies, and even mopped the floor. Surely you’re not calling to just say hello.”

He heard Ianto sighed into the phone. “No, unfortunately; Jack had a bad flashback last night,” Ianto replied.

Owen removed his feet from his desk and sat up. “Shit. Tell me what happened.”

Ianto explained about the sudden storm and how it had triggered a flashback for Jack. He told Owen what he and Jasper had to do to bring Jack out of it. Owen was concerned about the intensity of the flashback. “Where’s Jack now?”

“He’s still sleeping on the couch; I gave him one of the sedatives you prescribed. Should I bring him to the Hub?”

“No, let him sleep off the sedative. Hang on half a mo,” Owen replied. He muted his mobile and walked over to Gwen’s desk. Harold and Gwen were looking over reports. “Sorry to interrupt; Jack had a bad flashback last night during the storm and I think I should go out and check him over. Harold, didn’t you mention this morning you were going out to there today?”

“Yes. Pete said there was some storm damage and they lost power. It was restored a short time ago, but Pete still needs some help,” Harold replied. “Want to drive out there together?”

“Yeah, sounds like a plan. I can be ready to go in ten minutes. First, I’ve got to tell Ianto.” Owen unmuted his mobile as he walked to the medical bay to retrieve his medical kit. “Ianto, I’m going to ride out there with Harold. I want to check Jack over and see if there’s anything I can do to help. Things are quiet here, so now’s a good time.”

“Should I do anything while I’m waiting for your arrival?”

“Not unless Jack wakes up before I get there. You’ve done everything right so far; just keep it going until I get there.”

“Jack won’t be happy that I called you.”

“Probably,” Owen agreed, “but it was the right thing to do. We’ll see you soon – bye.” He added some additional medications to his kit in case they were needed. Owen closed his kit, picked up his emergency overnight bag and went upstairs to find Harold.

Ianto put his mobile away and finished drinking his coffee. The rain had stopped sometime in the early morning and the sun was peeking through the kitchen window. He placed the now empty mug into the dishwasher and then went into the sitting room to check on Jack. Jasper was lying on the ottoman still watching Jack sleep. Petting the dog’s head Ianto said, “It’s my turn to watch him, Jasper; your breakfast is in the kitchen waiting for you. Go on.” Jasper seemed to understand and jumped down from the ottoman and trotted out to the kitchen.

“You do realize he is a dog, don’t you?”

“Yes I do, but he’s a very clever and perceptive dog,” Ianto replied smiling. He went over and opened the sitting room curtains to let in the sunlight. Jack squinted at the bright sunshine as he sat up.

“What time is it?”

“It’s going on 9:30 a.m. You should get up; Harold and Owen should be here soon.”

Jack’s head snapped up; “Why are they coming here?”

“Harold’s coming here to look over the storm damage and Owen’s coming to check you over because of the flashback you had yesterday.”

“You shouldn’t have bothered Owen about what happened yesterday,” Jack replied dropping his head down breaking eye contact.

Ianto sat down next to Jack. “I had to call Owen because what happened yesterday was bloody terrifying. Jack, we’ve both had our share of nightmares, but yesterday you had a full-blown flashback; you were choking to death on nothing except a horrifying memory replaying in your mind. I truly thought you were going to die – that’s how bad it was.”

Jack shuddered remembering the flashback. Ianto wrapped his arms around Jack who sagged against him. “I’ve never had a flashback that bad,” Jack admitted, “and it totally took me by surprise. I was in the kitchen getting the coco . . . the kitchen window was still open and the smell of rain and damp earth was so strong. Thunder boomed right over the cottage and the lights went out. Suddenly I was back in the grave Grey buried me in and rain-sodden earth was pressing down on me, filling my mouth and I was choking. I couldn’t escape!” Jack sobbed.

“Oh, Cariad, I’m so sorry. It’s going to be alright; you’re safe now,” Ianto assured Jack. “You’re not alone, we’ll all help you; I promise.” Jack held onto Ianto needing his life mate more than ever before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from socalrose: Poor Jack. Just when he thought things were getting better something as simple as a thunder storm triggered a horrendous flashback. Will they be able to help Jack? And why the hell did I mention the oak tree at the beginning of the chapter?
> 
> Please let me know what you think; comments and questions are always welcomed.


	34. Progress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack is making progress at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter rated Mature (sexual encounter).

“Yes, Owen, Jack is taking the medication like he promised,” Ianto assured his medic. Ianto was making sandwiches for lunch and Jasper was lurking around the kitchen hoping for a treat. Smiling, Ianto tossed a slice of turkey at Jasper who deftly caught it in his mouth and gobbled it down. “He’s been journaling and doing some sketches, but he hasn’t shared anything with me. You said he didn’t have to share any of it with anyone.”

“That’s right, as long as he’s writing or drawing about the trauma, he’s processing how he feels about what happened,” Owen agreed. “Did Jack agree to help Harold cut up the fallen oak tree?”

“He did; in fact, Jack is helping Harold right now and I’m getting ready to take lunch out to them,” Ianto replied.

“I won’t keep you any longer then; tell Jack I’ll talk with him tomorrow,” Owen said.

“Will do – bye.” Ianto terminated the call and finished preparing lunch. It was only two days ago Owen and Harold had come out to the cottage. Harold went with Pete to examine the storm damage and Owen checked Jack over. Jack and Owen argued over the right course of treatment and additional time off work for Jack. Frustrated, Owen had pointed out Jack wasn’t fit for field work and could suffer a flashback in the field endangering him and his team. Silently Jack had stalked out the front door; Jasper following in his wake. He returned twenty minutes later and quietly agreed to Owen’s treatment plan. Jasper wasn’t too happy with Owen and stood between Owen and Jack as a buffer until Owen left; Jasper even growled occasionally in Owen’s direction which Owen found amusing. Ianto and Owen were waiting for signs Jack was getting better and the journaling and drawing were the first hopeful indicators.

Ianto packed the sandwiches into a big picnic basket along with crisps, biscuits, fruit, coffee-filled thermoses, and bottled water. Ianto and Jasper piled into the Land Rover with the picnic basket, a folding table and four folding chairs. It didn’t take long to arrive at the site. Jack and Harold were busy cutting up the tree and Pete was stacking wood into a beat up old lorry. Pete came over and help set up the table and chairs. Ianto unpacked the lunch while Harold and Jack finished cutting the parts they were working on. Harold was using the chainsaw on a wider section and Jack was using an axe on a smaller tree section. Ianto watched Jack wield the axe skillfully and admired the way Jack’s torso muscles glistened with sweat. Jack swung the axe with ease and the rhythm of the axe biting into the wood was a steady beat. The roar of Harold’s chainsaw buzzed constantly until he cut through his tree section just as Jack’s axe severed the section he was working on.

A shrill whistle grabbed their attention. “Oi, you lot, stop working and come eat some lunch,” Ianto shouted. Harold and Jack both grinned and stowed their cutting tools. Jack grabbed a towel and wiped his face and torso off and then slipped on his white tee shirt before joining Ianto, Harold and Pete at the table.

“I’m so glad you brought us lunch, Ianto; I’m starving,” Jack admitted. Ianto passed the sandwich tray around and everyone selected sandwiches and dug in. The next few minutes were spent in comfortable silence focusing on the enjoyable lunch. Jasper used his best puppy eyes pleading for handouts and all of them tossed him bits of turkey and ham which Jasper immediately gobbled up. Sandwiches, chips and fruit consumed, Ianto served coffee and biscuits.

“You’ve gotten a lot of the tree cut up already,” Ianto observed.

“Yeah; thanks to Jack and Harold,” Pete agreed. “I’m relegated to putting the cut up wood into the lorry. There was no way I could use the chainsaw with my one arm in a cast. Jack’s made short work of tree limbs. The way you swing the axe Jack makes me wonder if you’ve worked as a lumberjack at some point in your life.”

“Actually I did for one year a long time ago; seems I haven’t lost my knack for wielding an axe.”

“The rate we’re going we’ll have this job completed in a couple more days,” Harold said.

“Well, I’m done with my videoconferences for today; I could stay and help Pete load the wood into the lorry,” Ianto volunteered.

“The more the merrier,” Harold replied.

Ianto spent the rest of the afternoon helping Pete load the wood into the lorry while Harold and Jack continued to cut up the tree. They worked until just before sunset and then he, Jack and Jasper went back to the cottage. Jasper went into the sitting room to take a nap. Hot, tired and sweaty, all Jack wanted to do was take a quick shower and collapse on the couch for the rest of the evening. He made quick work of the shower and then lay down on the bed to relax for a little bit while Ianto had his shower. When Ianto came into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist Jack tried to get out of bed but moaned when he felt a strong twinge in his upper back.

“What’s wrong?” Ianto asked.

“I just overworked my back and shoulder muscles today,” Jack replied trying to dismiss Ianto’s concern.

“Right then; lay on your stomach and I’ll give you a massage,” Ianto said. He made sure Jack complied with his instructions before he went into the bathroom to retrieve the massage oil. Ianto straddled Jack’s hips so he could easily reach Jack’s upper back and shoulders. Pouring some oil into his hands to warm it up he asked, “Where did you feel the twinge?”

“Between my shoulder blades,” Jack replied. Ianto worked on the sore spot between Jack shoulder blades first; his strong fingers working out the knots releasing the tension in Jack’s muscles. Next, he worked the tension out of Jack’s shoulders, then his arms and lower back. Jack was so relaxed he felt like a puddle of goo.

“Turn over Jack,” Ianto instructed. Jack turned over on his back and stretched.

“Thank you, I feel so much better.”

Ianto covered Jack’s body with his and kissed Jack. “I’m glad you feel better; now I need to release some tension of my own - if you’re interested” Ianto said. Jack grinned and squeezed Ianto’s arse. “I’ll take that as a yes. You just lay there and I’ll do most of the work.” Ianto kissed Jack again before leaving a trail of kisses down his neck, nibbled on his nipples making Jack squirm and his cock twitch. Ianto then discarded Jack’s boxers and the towel wrapped around his own waist. He gave Jack’s cock and balls his undivided attention, licking and sucking until Jack was panting and on edge and then he pulled away leaving Jack frustrated.

“Ianto,” Jack practically whined.

“It’s alright Cariad; just give me a moment to prepare myself.” Ianto grabbed the lube, poured some over his fingers and then inserted first one, then two fingers into his opening stretching it so he could take Jack’s cock. He needed to feel Jack inside him and judging by the lust-filled look on his face Jack wanted this too. Feeling he was ready, Ianto slicked up Jack’s cock, positioned it against his entrance and slowly sank down feeling Jack’s cock fill him. He waited briefly while his body adjusted to Jack’s girth and then started slowly riding Jack.

They hadn’t been this intimate since the team had rescued Jack from the grave in Bute Park. Jack was enjoying watching Ianto ride his cock and they were both moaning from the marvelous sensations they were experiencing. Jack reached up and tweaked Ianto’s nipples and felt Ianto’s body tighten around his cock causing them both to gasp. Grabbing Ianto’s hips, Jack urged him to move faster. Ianto felt his balls tighten and then he came spurting between their bodies. His body clamped down on Jack’s cock and a few strokes later Jack came inside his lover. Ianto slipped off Jack and lay down next to him; they kissed and held each other as their breathing and heartbeats returned to normal. “I’ve missed this,” Jack admitted gazing into Ianto’s eyes.

“Me too,” Ianto agreed. “We’re making progress, but let’s just take things one day at a time – alright?”

A half smile graced Jack lips. “One day at a time together.”

“Together,” Ianto promised kissing Jack once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note from socalrose: Things are finally getting better. Comments and questions are always welcome - talk to me people!


	35. Alone Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack says his final goodbyes to Hart and Grey and then he and Ianto have some alone time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter rated Mature (sexual encounter).

“You sure you want to do this alone?” Ianto asked Jack for the third time since they'd left the cottage before dawn.

“I’m sure,” Jack said taking the box from Ianto.

Ianto cupped Jack’s face with his hands; leaning in he kissed Jack tenderly. Pulling back he said, “we’ll wait right here for you, Cariad.”

“I’m counting on it.” Jack walked away down the slight slope to the deserted beach while Ianto and Jasper waited by a bench.

This was the final milestone in Jack and Ianto’s recovery from the tragic events Grey put into motion a few weeks ago. Last night Jack had voluntarily shared his journal and sketches with Ianto after supper. Ianto found Jack’s trust sharing his deepest thoughts and feelings with him touching. He read the entries which ranged from Jack venting his anger at Grey and Hart for what they’d done to him, Ianto and his team to Jack examining why they did it. Ianto was surprised at the sketches Jack had given him to look at; he didn’t know Jack was a talented artist. The drawings were very detailed; one sketch was Grey stabbing him, another was Jack’s view from the bottom of the grave with Grey laughing at him and Hart shoveling dirt into the grave. One sketch was clearly the vision from his flashback when he had choked to death.

The other sketches were increasingly positive; (1) Ianto in his lycan form holding and comforting Jack, (2) Jasper following them back to the cottage, (3) Jack, Ianto and Jasper going for a walk. There was even a sketch of them along with Harold and Pete chopping up and removing the old oak tree. A sketch of Ianto in his human form morphing to his lycan form was quite striking. Ianto let out a small gasp as he looked at the last sketch. It was a sketch of Ianto in his lycan form with a naked and very pregnant Jack leaning back against his chest; both their hands were cradling Jack’s baby bump. On the back of the sketch was one sentence: I want to recover and get my life back so I can have a family with Ianto. Ianto was so moved by the sentiment in the last sketch he’d gone outside to find Jack and Jasper playing catch with a Frisbee which Ianto promptly interrupted by snogging Jack.

Ianto watched as Jack scattered Grey’s ashes on the beach. They’d already scattered Hart’s ashes on a hill at sunrise; Jack had wanted it to be a place where the stars shine brightly at night in thanks for Hart making the final sacrifice to save them from Grey’s last attempt. Ianto stood up as Jack closed the box and made his way back up to Ianto, who wrapped his arms around Jack and hugged him. “It’s over,” Jack said hugging Ianto back.

They arrived back at the cottage an hour later, got out of the Land Rover and headed toward the cottage. Jack noticed Jasper was walking away from the cottage. “Jasper,” Jack called out, but Jasper didn’t come back. Puzzled, Jack and Ianto trotted after Jasper. Kneeling down Jack petted Jasper. “Hey Jasper, you trying to tell me it’s time you went home?” Jasper whined softly and licked Jack’s face. Jack hugged the dog. “Least we can do is walk you home, boy.” Ianto and Jack held hands as they walked Jasper home. Pete was unloading groceries from his Range Rover when they arrived.

“I take it this isn’t just another visit,” Pete said looking at Jack and then Jasper.

“No, it’s not; Jasper thinks I’m doing better, so it’s time he came home,” Jack replied.

“That’s good,” Pete replied. “Harold’s gone back to Cardiff, so it will be great to have Jasper back. Glad you’re doing better Jack. Will you be leaving soon?”

“In a couple of days,” Ianto confirmed. “We need to pack up and clean up the cottage first and then we’ll head back to Cardiff.” He helped Pete carry the groceries into the kitchen giving Jack a few more minutes with Jasper outside.

“Before you leave, you should have a picnic over at Secluded Pond,” Pete said.

“Secluded Pond? I’ve never heard of it before.”

“Well, it’s normally only where life mates go to have some alone time,” Pete said. “The last time you were here, you weren’t even 16 yet.”

Ianto smiled; “You’re right, probably was not the time for me to know about the hot spot. So where’s it located?” 

“The way there is still a gravel road to keep it secluded,” Pete replied grabbing a pen and piece of paper. “Do you have Sat Nav in your Land Rover?” Ianto nodded his confirmation. “Good, then here are the coordinates which will get you to a small parking area and then you just follow the signs down to the pond. This time of year in the middle of the week, you won’t be disturbed.”

“Thanks, Pete, and thanks again for all you’ve done for Jack and me,” Ianto said shaking Pete’s hand.

“You’re welcome Ianto; glad I could help. You and Jack are always welcome back here.” They walked back outside to find Jack talking and petting Jasper. Jack hugged Jasper once more and then shook hands with Pete saying goodbye. Ianto and Jack held hands as they walked back to their cottage.

“You okay, Cariad?” Ianto asked once they arrived back at their cottage.

“I’m going to miss Jasper,” Jack admitted a single tear escaping his eye. “Seems silly, right?”

“No, Cariad; it’s not silly,” Ianto replied wiping away the tear on Jack’s face. “Jasper came into your life and helped you recover a lot faster; we owe that clever little dog more than we can ever repay. Look, it’s just about lunchtime; why don’t we put together a picnic and go checkout this romantic picnic area Pete told me about.”

Jack smiled at this suggestion. “Romantic picnic? – Sounds great.”

It didn’t take long to put together a picnic lunch and soon they were driving down a gravel road. “So you didn’t know about this location when you were growing up?”

“Nope; apparently they keep this location for life mates only.”

“Can’t wait to see it then,” Jack replied.

“Looks like you’ll see it soon, here’s the parking lot.” Ianto pulled into a parking spot and turned off the engine. “Pete said to just follow the signs.” They pulled the picnic basket and blankets out of the backseat, locked the Land Rover and followed the signs through the trees before emerging in a clearing. “Wow,” Ianto said gazing at their surroundings. The pond was a fairly good size surrounded by green grass and ringed by trees.

“I can see why they call it Secluded Pond,” Jack said. “It’s beautiful here. Kind of reminds me of the location I dreamed about when I sick with the flu.”

“Well, there’s no way I’m getting into the pond,” Ianto replied. “It may be a warm day, but the odds are the water is bloody cold.”

Jack laughed. “Good news is there are no ducks around to interrupt us.”

They selected a spot partially shaded by a tree. Jack spread the blanket out and Ianto set down the picnic basket. They ate sandwiches, chips and fruit while discussing the tasks they needed to do before they left. “Jack, what are you going to do with your journal and sketches?”

“I was planning on burning them in the fireplace tonight; don’t want anyone getting hold of them. Why?”

“I was wondering if we could keep the positive sketches, especially the one of you naked.”

Jack lay down on his back grinning. “Oh, you like that one do you?”

Ianto stretched out alongside Jack and placed his hand on Jack’s stomach. “Yes I do; because it’s about hope, love and getting you very pregnant,” Ianto practically growled.

Jack felt his blood rush to his groin responding to Ianto’s growl and a strong whiff of his lycan pheromones. “Well,” Jack replied hoarsely, “You can have the positive sketches if you make love to me right now.”

“Fair enough, Cariad,” Ianto agreed. He kissed Jack as he slipped his hand under Jack’s jumper and caressed his stomach. His tongue dueled with Jack’s for dominance until Jack surrender and gave control to Ianto. After a few minutes Ianto muttered, “Too many clothes,” and stood up quickly shedding his own clothes and morphing into his lycan form, his prominent erection proudly bobbing between his legs. Jack quickly stripped off his clothes too before laying back down on the blanket. Ianto covered Jack’s body with his and rubbed their erections together making them both gasp. “My beautiful Jack, I want to pleasure you while you pleasure me and then I want to be inside you when I come.”

“Does that mean I get to play with your gorgeous tail?”

Jack’s question got an eye roll out of Ianto. “Yes Jack, you may play with my tail.”

“Good,” Jack said in a lust-filled voice. “I love playing with your tail.” Ianto shivered in anticipation. Ianto turned around so his face was positioned between Jack’s legs and giving Jack access to Ianto’s tail as requested. Ianto licked Jack’s cock as his hand reached for his discarded trousers and found the lube in a pocket. Pouring some lube on his fingers he used some for his hand stroking Jack’s cock and the rest on his fingers as he slipped first one, then two fingers in Jack’s opening.

Jack moaned as he felt Ianto’s hands preparing him. Not to be outdone, Jack grasped the base of Ianto’s tail firmly and started stroking it from base to tip over and over. Ianto responded by growling lustily. Jack also stroked Ianto’s cock. They pleasured each other for several minutes until Ianto said, “Jack, stop; I want to come inside you, Cariad.”

“Hurry love,” Jack replied letting go of Ianto’s tail and cock. Ianto let go of Jack and turned around once more. Jack spread his legs as far apart as he could and with his hands under his thighs pulled his legs towards his chest giving Ianto easier access. Ianto got between Jack’s legs, positioned his cock at Jack’s crinkled opening and steadily pushed into Jack’s hot tunnel. Slowly thrusting at first Ianto and Jack set a steady pace. “Faster Ianto,” Jack begged. Ianto increased his speed and changed the angle slightly hitting Jack’s prostate with every stroke.

“Come for me Jack,” Ianto said.

“Ianto!” Jack cried as his cum spurted between their bodies. Jack’s muscles tightened around Ianto’s cock and Ianto came with a howl shooting his seed inside Jack. Spent and gasping for air they caressed one another with their hands and eyes waiting for their heartbeats to calm down. Ianto morphed back to human form, pulled out of Jack and lay down beside him. “Love you, Ianto,” Jack said wrapping his arm around Ianto.

“Love you too, Jack,” Ianto replied.

“Wish we could stay like this forever, but we can’t.”

“True,” Ianto agreed, “but we can stay here a little longer and cuddle.” Feeling a cool breeze start up he looked around and found the extra blanket which he grabbed and used to cover them both up. “I’m definitely keeping the coordinates for this location for future use,” he added kissing Jack on the lips.

Jack’s eyes had closed but he heard Ianto. “Sounds like a brilliant plan to me,” Jack agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note from socalrose: What did you think of the sketches Jack shared with Ianto? Was the scene at the pond romantic? Comments and questions are always welcomed


	36. Back To Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What it says on the tin.

“I can’t believe I’m so nervous,” Jack admitted as he finished dressing. He pulled his suspenders up over his shoulders and checked his reflection in the mirror. Dressed for work except for his great coat, but it was gone. Anian had taken the coat to the dry cleaners Ianto had told him about, but even after the cleaners treated the coat and cleaned it four times, Anian could still smell the damp earth and scent from the grave and had asked Jack what he wanted to do. After much thought Jack had reluctantly decided to incinerate the coat and Anian had complied with his request. Perhaps he could wear Ianto’s leather jacket today, Jack thought with a sigh.

“About ready to go Jack?” Ianto called from the hallway.

“Almost. Mind if I wear your leather jacket to work at least for today?”

“I suppose you can,” Ianto replied walking into their bedroom, “but I think you should look at this first.” Ianto handed a large gift box to Jack.

Jack took the box from Ianto and placed it on the bed. There was a card attached. He fought the natural urge to open the box first and opened the card instead. The card front said Welcome back surrounded by a rainbow of balloons. Jack opened the card and read the note written in Tosh’s fine handwriting: “Jack, We’re so glad you’re feeling better and can’t wait to have you back at work. Please accept this gift with all our love, Tosh, Gwen, Owen, Harold, and Anian.”

Quickly Jack opened the box and smiled as he stroked his hand over a new great coat neatly folded inside the box.

“They thought you wouldn’t feel complete without your great coat and asked me where they could buy one. I told them about a couple of places in Cardiff and gave them your size. I hope you don’t mind,” Ianto said wrapping his arms around Jack from behind and kissing Jack’s neck. “Do you like it?”

“I love it,” Jack replied, his voice a bit husky with emotion. Ianto let go of Jack and pulled the coat out of the box.

“May I help you with your coat Sir?”

“Yes you may, Mr. Jones.” Jack turned around and with Ianto’s help slipped the new coat on. Ianto smoothed down the collar and then stood in front of Jack looking for approval. He smoothed his hands over the lapels and leaned in to kiss Jack. “There’s my dashing captain; now we’re ready for work.”

Jack grinned and took in the sight of his life mate in a black three piece suit with a burgundy dress shirt and matching silk tie. “Yes, we’re ready for work now Ianto Jones. Let’s go.”

Hand in hand they walked to work since it was a sunny day. Wanting to arrive in style, Jack chose to use the invisible lift. Descending into the Hub they saw Tosh at her work station busy working on programs. Hearing the lift, she looked up and smiled. Tosh came over and met them when the lift touched down. Jack let out a small “oomph” as Tosh hugged him with all her might. Jack hugged her back; he’d missed Tosh and just stood there for a moment enjoying the hug and the scent of Jasmine. “I missed you, Tosh,” Jack said.

“Missed you too,” Tosh replied finally releasing Jack from her arms so she could get a good look at him. Jack looked so much better than the last time she saw him; gone were the shadows under his eyes and he looked healthy and relaxed. “That coat looks good on you.” She was pleased it fit him so well.

“Of course it does,” Jack replied with a smile. “It’s a lovely present – thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Besides, our dashing Captain wouldn’t look complete without his great coat. And Ianto looks good enough to eat,” Tosh said with a wicked grin as she hugged Ianto.

“Oi, I’m the only one who gets to eat Ianto,” Jack replied.

Ianto rolled his eyes as Tosh laughed. “Too Much Information, Jack,” she admonished wagging her forefinger at Jack.

“Yes, TMI Jack; do I have to put you on decaf?” Ianto threatened.

Jack gasped in mock horror. “No, I’ll behave.”

Ianto smiled. “Good, then I’ll go make some coffee. Tosh, where is everyone?” he asked as they walked towards the kitchenette.

“Three Weevils were reported in Splott, so Gwen, Owen, Harold, and Anian went to take care of things. They should be back shortly.”

“Guess I’ll go to my office and start reading the reports Gwen said she’d leave on my desk,” Jack said.

Tosh went back to working on her programs. Ianto served them both coffee and then went over the reports with Jack telling what he knew from the videoconferences he’d had with Gwen and Harold. Soon their work was interrupted by the sirens, lights and cogwheel door rolling open allowing Gwen and Owen to enter. Gwen spotted Ianto and Jack and ran over to them.

“I’ve missed you two, it’s so good to have you back!” She gushed, hugging Jack first.

Jack hugged her back. “You’re just saying that because you know you can hand all of my duties back to me.”

“True,” Gwen agreed, “you’re welcome to all of the paperwork and the phone calls from UNIT and the PM,” she grinned at Jack. Turning, she hugged Ianto just as fiercely. “Ianto, good to see you in person and not on a bloody monitor.”

“Likewise; I hate videoconferencing,” Ianto agreed.

Gwen let go of Ianto. “Harold and Anian are just putting a Weevil in a cell. We would have just shooed it back into the sewers with the other ones, but it had an infected leg, so we decided to bring it in for treatment. Once it’s better we’ll release it back into its family group.”

“The other Weevils pushed it out of the sewers because it was sick – didn’t they?” Ianto asked.

“Yep, to protect the rest of them; it’s the best they can do, I suppose.”

Jack and Ianto nodded in agreement. They’d seen it happen on other occasions.

“I’ll give you all a few minutes to get things done and then I’d like to meet with all of you in the conference room,” Jack said.

“Sure Jack; I’ll tell the others,” Gwen replied and walked away to spread the word.

Owen strolled over to them. “We’ve got a few minutes before your meeting and I want to give you a quick check up and have a word with you and Ianto.”

“Sure Owen,” Jack agreed. The three started down the stairs to the medical bay when Jack hesitated on the steps.

A gentle hand touched his arm. “You alright, Cariad?”

Jack looked at Ianto touched by his concern. “Sorry, it’s just . . . it’s the last place I saw Grey and Hart,” Jack explained.

“I’m sorry Jack,” Owen said. He was down by the exam table with a file in his hand. “I didn’t think of it. Do you want to do this in your office instead/”

Jack took a deep breath and released it slowly feeling the tightness in his chest disappear. “No, I’ll be fine,” he assured them and finished walking downstairs to sit on the exam table.

Owen did a quick exam since he’d already seen Jack last week. “How are you feeling since I took you off the antidepressants last week?”

“Pretty good; I get a little sad every so often, but I’m able to shake it off. Talking with Ianto helps a lot.”

“Being sad is a normal emotional process. You and Ianto need to notice when the sadness lingers too long or gets intense; that’s when it might lead to depression. Report it to me when it happens so we can nip it in the bud quickly.” Owen finished writing a note in the file and closed it. “A couple of things I wanted to discuss with you two. First, I don’t think it’s a good idea for Jack to go out on missions alone. I want you teamed with someone.” Jack started to object, but Owen put up a hand to stop him. “Hear me out Jack; this would be temporary, just until you’ve had a couple of field trips under your belt to make sure you don’t suffer a flashback.”

Jack felt Ianto’s hand touch his arm. “He has a good point, Cariad.” Ianto said. He looked up at Ianto and saw nothing but love and concern in his eyes. Jack gently squeezed Ianto’s hand.

“You and Owen are right; I agree to team up on my missions.”

Owen let out a sigh of relief. “Great! The other thing was just a reminder for you to use the EPA scanner every morning you come into work. I’m assuming you’ve started trying to get pregnant again – right?”

Jack grinned and Ianto blushed. “I’ll take that as a Yes,” Owen said with a smile.

Ten minutes later they were all in the conference room. Ianto had served everyone coffee and then sat down in the chair to Jack’s right. Gwen, Owen and Harold were seated to Jack’s left while Tosh and Anian were to Ianto’s right.

“I've read about half of the reports Gwen left on my desk so far and I’m very impressed with all the work you’ve done while Ianto and I’ve been gone,” Jack said looking at his team. “Ianto and I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done for us.” Jack got a little emotional and couldn’t finish what he wanted to say. Ianto grasped Jack’s hand and gave it a little squeeze getting a small smile in response.

“You’ve all been so very supportive both during and after the events with Grey and Hart . . . we couldn’t have done it without you,” Ianto agreed. “We also think Torchwood’s partnership with Pack Security has more than survived its baptism of fire. Setting up Pack Security the way you did, Harold, showed brilliant insight and enabled us to support each other and do an even better job of protecting the pack, Cardiff and Torchwood at the same time.”

Harold’s smile lit up the room. “I’m just glad we had Torchwood and Pack Security’s partnership firmly in place before the Grey and Hart event.” Everyone agreed with him.

The rift alarm sounded, ending the meeting. It was business as usual for Torchwood and Pack Security.

Ianto spent most of the week in the Archives with Anian and was very pleased to find the young lycan had done a superb job filing away new artifacts which had arrived during Ianto’s absence. He found only one or two things he would have done differently and discussed them with Anian.

Gwen brought Jack back up to speed on the case reports and then they met with Harold to go over some new proposals including additional field training for the special teams utilized during the Hart/Grey event. Jack and Ianto had gone out together on some retrieval runs and Jack hadn’t suffered a flashback even when the lights had suddenly failed in a warehouse where they were tracking a Weevil.

tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw~tw

“Harold suggested we have a pub night at Blaidd gwâl Friday night, sort of a Pack Security/Torchwood mixer,” Ianto said as they stepped off the invisible lift. Back to their old routine, they were the first to arrive at the Hub. Ianto hung up Jack’s great coat next to his own black coat before heading to the kitchenette to brew the first coffee batch for the day. “Think it’s a good idea?” he asked over his shoulder.

“Yeah I do; let’s see if everyone’s available,” Jack agreed before heading down to the medical bay.

He finished making the coffee and carried Jack’s striped coffee mug over to the medical bay stairway and started down the stairs. “Should be fun as long as there is no pub quiz; you know you’re rubbish at answering . . . Jack?” Ianto had stopped on the stairs and stared at the image projected on the medical bay’s far wall.

“I’m pregnant,” Jack whispered staring at the results on the wall. Ianto finished walking down the stairs and came to stand by his life mate. Jack lifted his hand off the EPA machine and the display disappeared. He again placed his hand on the machine which scanned him and displayed the same results: Human Male Pregnancy Test Results Positive. “I really am pregnant.”

Ianto cupped Jack’s face in his hands and kissed him deep and long before pulling apart to catch their breaths. “Are you happy about being pregnant Jack?” Ianto asked stroking Jack’s stomach through his shirt.

“Truth be told, I’m happy and terrified at the same time,” Jack admitted accepting the mug of coffee from Ianto.

Grasping Jack’s free hand in his, Ianto replied, “It’ll be alright Jack; we’ll get through this together. Enjoy your morning coffee, because it’s decaf coffee for you from now on.” Ianto laughed at the horrified look on Jack’s face.

Owen was still in bed when his mobile started beeping loudly. He ignored it for several minutes, and then finally gave up. Blearily he opened the message on his mobile expecting a rift alert. Instead the message displayed: Human Male Pregnancy Test Results Positive. Owen groaned; he forgot Tosh had set up the EPA machine to inform him the moment Jack was pregnant. “Bloody hell,” was all he muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note from socalrose: Thanks for reading my story! Your comments and questions are always welcomed.


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